Chapter 10: Tears of Acid
by DominoMags
Summary: Izuku Midoriya is the 9th person to hold the quirk One-For-All. He had been born quirkless, but always dreamed of being a hero. He managed to grasp that dream, succeed his hero, All-Might, and fall in love while at Yuuei with the excitable and quirky Mina Ashido. However, every dream ends and every story has a final page. This is a new chapter in the story of One-For-All and its ne
1. Rise and Fall

It has been ten years. Izuku Midoriya is the 9th person to hold the power of One-For-All. Unlike most quirks, this is a power that can be passed on to others at will, if the intended successor ingests the DNA of their predecessor. It stockpiles power. Meaning that to wiled it without destroying oneself requires immense training. Izuku and his predecessor, Yagi Toshinori, were both born quirkless, but worked hard and proved themselves worthy of its legacy. However, every reign comes to an end and today was no different. Surrounded by fallen Nomus, the hero known as Deku faced his swan song.

Izuku felt a sad, painful nostalgia as he struggled to stand back up. He was bloodied, battered, and broken. His costume was tattered. His arm was broken. Perhaps he had bitten off more than he could chew. Then again, perhaps that was part of being the new symbol of peace. He had just gained control of 100% of his quirk about a year ago. He had asked his girlfriend to marry him.

They had dated since Yuuei and now they lived together and were engaged. The pair seemed unlikely and yet they matched each other so well. Like two pieces of a medallion, they needed each other to be whole. Mina Ashido had never been happier. If it wasn't already her skin color, she would be tickled pink. However, that had changed. Here she was now, trying to fight off several enemies at once to get to her fiancée's side and help him out.

"IZUKU! HOLD ON!" she screamed, taking out as many villains as she could.

He may have been All Might's torch bearer, but even he had his limits. He had just taken out four foes at once, leaving him winded. A man covered in hands grabbed the young man by the throat and prepared to kill him.

However, Izuku was resourceful. He struggled in the man's grip, the leader of the League of Villains: Shigeraki Tomura. He knew the man would take time to gloat. That he was unhinged. He knew he would be focused on ending Izuku's life. His pinky finger was held out to extend his prey's suffering before turning him to dust. Izuku prepared a kick with Full Cowl: shoot, knocking the villain off center.

He was free of Tomura's grip for now and was ready to deliver a Delaware Smash to the villain's face. However, Tomura was no amateur. He caught Izuku's hand and proceeded to disintegrate it. The pain was unbearable for Izuku. He had to act fast. He did the only think he could think of and used his free arm to remove his other. Again, Tomura was taken aback, although a gleeful bloodlust filled his eyes as he smiled manically beneath his hand-mask.

After one final blow to the villain, incapacitating him for good, Izuku stood up, woozy from blood loss and fatigue. Mina ran to him, but he was too late. He collapsed in her arms.

"M-mina…. Sorry we didn't get married yet. It would have been…awesome." He smiled, tears in his eyes and his life draining away fast."

"We still will, you dork. Let me just call an ambulance." She smiled back, holding back the tears as she ripped off a piece of her costume as a makeshift tourniquet to stop the bleeding. She applied pressure and stopped it as best she could.

"M-mina. Please. Now's not the time." Izuku blushed faintly. "Not here."

"Stop it, goober. You know what I'm doing." She giggled, trying not to cry and scream.

"Mina…it's ok. I wish I had been able to live longer. Be more of a hero. Marry you. See our friends again…. Guess that's one dream I didn't get to fulfill." Izuku gasped, the darkness creeping in to claim him. "But I…had a good run…hope I m-made All Might proud."

"Don't say that, Izu. Of course, you did. You're going to be fine. The ambulance is on their way." The acid girl cried, keeping him conscious for as long as possible

"It's ok…. I trust you." He kissed her deeply. Swapping saliva with her in one final moment of love.

"You're going to do great. I know…. You have the smile down…you'll make me proud. I lo…." The light faded from his eyes and his body became limp. A smile had crept across his face, knowing that the future was in good hands.

And with that, Izuku Midoriya passed from this world, leaving his grieving partner to take on his mantle. This was the day a new symbol of peace was crowned, stained in tears of acid. Tomura stirred before struggling to get up on his knees. He laughed at the death of his nemesis. He himself wasn't in the best of shape, but if he were to die here, he would die knowing he sent his foe to hell.

"I did it. I did it! First All-Might dies, then the damn Brat that took his mantle. Today is just too lovely." He took off his mask and laughed in victory, despite his broken bones and internal bleeding.

Mina walked over to him, seething with hatred. She could have done it. She could have killed him right there. It was never in her wheelhouse before, despite how potent her quirk was, but the temptation was palpable. No. This wasn't her. This wasn't how she did things, and it wasn't how Izuku or All Might would have either.

Instead, she looked over at the broken corpse of her lover before filling her palm with acid and slapping his killer's face hard, knocking him unconscious and cuffing him. The ambulance and Police arrive, but it was too late for Izuku. Mina could do nothing but collapse in a sobbing heap as Tomura is taken away in Police custody (and to have his wounds treated presumably, even given his crimes) and Izuku leaves he scene in a body bag, officers taking their hats off in mourning of the brave young man who gave his life in service of peace. It was Mina's burden to bear now.

Two months later, bad things were brewing. With the defeat of Shigeraki, a power vacuum grew within the league of villains. All-For-One had been long since defeated, with Shigeraki stepping up to become his successor.

A group of villains had just taken a bus of children hostage and were driving away as fast as they could. The police were hot on their tail, but one of the villains had a quirk allowing them to control machines, which he used to stall the engines of their cars, However, just when they thought they would get away clean, a young woman in an outrageously 80s outfit, with ink skin, horns, and black sclera, pulled up beside them, surfing on a wave of acid.

"Don't worry folks. You're gonna be fine…"

She braced herself and leapt onto the bus, holding on as best as she could, using her quirk to melt a hole in the roof. She jumped through and quickly dealt with the villains. She slammed the brakes and brought the bus to a halt.

"Alien Queen is here." She smiled confidently, hands on her hips.

Actions


	2. Dream a Little Dream

Actions

Mina got back to her apartment and took off her costume, deciding to lay about in her underwear. She could get dressed, but she didn't feel like doing much now except laying down, possibly getting a shower in a bit. She stared at the ceiling, surrounded by reminders of a man she would never see again. Two months had passed and it still felt surreal. She half expected him to walk out and greet her. She sighed and thought back. Her black and yellow eyes fluttered shut as she flung herself back to the day of the funeral.

Heroes were held in high regard. Even when that trust wavered with the plotting of the league of villains and its sensei, All-for-One. However, the heroes still did their best, and fought for a just and fair society. As inheritor of All Might's quirk, Izuku Midoriya had filled the role of "Symbol of peace" the best he could, becoming, in some ways, better than his idol and mentor.

He had even helped spearhead some changes in society, putting public service and selflessness at the forefront and showing those without quirks that eve they could step up and make a difference. Izuku wanted to be a hero like All Might since childhood and aimed to be the best he could, not just for himself, but for Japan. No. For the world.

Mina remembered the funeral clearly. All their classmates had reunited to honor their fallen friend. The staff of Yuuei had showed as well. Mina stood next to Inko Midoriya, consoling the poor woman whose son had died in the line of duty. He was laid to rest in a grave next to All Might's. Both had large stone monuments of the two heroes. It was beautifully tragic seeing Izuku's likeness, brave and triumphant, next to that of the man he had idolized and looked up to. The man who trained him and passed down his quirk to him. It was so fitting.

They stood side by side, equals in death. Two men, born quirkless, now recognized as true heroes. Everyone paid their respects and mourned, with Iida, Bakugou, Todoroki, Mirio, Kirishima, and Ochako carrying the casket (she insisted on being among them. He was a dear friend of her and she would be there at the end, just as she was at the beginning of their Yuuei days, even if it hurt her.).

Mina had so much she could have said, so much insight she could have offered in a eulogy. So much energy she could have brought to proceedings. However, even the normally spunky pink woman was too stunned and mournful to even speak. He died in her arms. She had trained alongside him to be a hero, just like everyone else, especially Izuku. And now she was the 10th holder of this power. And yet, what did any of that matter if she couldn't have saved him. She had tried consoling Inko, but could barely hold her self together. The older woman appreciated the effort regardless and the two held each other close before Mina went off to sit on her own for a while.

She really wanted to let all her friends know how much she appreciated them being there, and how it was great how Izuku had touched all their lives. She wanted to be strong. She just went through the motions. Everything just melted away, as if she had lost control of her quirk. It all felt so strange. At one point, Mina could have sworn she had seen Izuku smiling at her from near a distant tree, walking deeper into the shade, where he met eight other figures she could barely make out.

One kind of resembled All Might, while another looked like a woman. After a moment, they seemed to shift and melt into one form. Mina had to squint, as it almost seemed familiar. She came to when she felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Tooru.

"You ok, Mina-chan?" the invisible woman asked softly, taking her grieving friend's other hand in hers. If she had been visible, Mina would have been able to see the concern and sorrow in her face. Mina could still sense it though, through her voice and her touch. Mina shook her head to shake off the previous vision. She almost felt like wandering off right now.

Just being alone, not that she didn't appreciate everyone. Not that she wasn't grateful to be surrounded by friends and loved ones who missed Izuku dearly. She just wanted to run away, straight towards that shade tree and chase her Fiancée's ghost. It would serve no purpose. It wasn't what she needed. It wasn't what Izuku would have wanted. Damn if it wasn't what she wanted right now. No. What she wanted was for all of this to be a dream.

Mina woke up, her body covered in a cold sweat as she checked the time. The memories had been so vivid. Her dream had played out almost exactly how it had happened in real life, save for the vision. She merely had an odd sensation that day, when staring at Izuku's memorial. She had been out for two hours and it was now Midnight. She groaned and pulled herself up, she decided she should get up and get a shower before heading back to bed. A nice shower might help wash the day's sweat and grime off.

She walked to the bathroom, stared into the mirror. She looked exhausted.

"Raccoon eyes has Raccoon eyes" she growled in a half-hearted attempt to imitate Bakugou. She hadn't talked to him since the funeral, and even then, he barely said anything. He had been surprisingly quiet that day. She had expected him to shout and curse a lot more, but he merely had a pissed off look on his face, before helping to lower Izuku's coffin, lighting up a cigarette, and saying "Fuck it. I'm out of here, extras.". Something about the dark circles under her eyes reminded her of that, and a good chuckle would help her perk up, she thought. She pulled both eyelids down with her fingers and examined a bruise she had on her left cheek from where she was hit by one of the villains she took out in that hostage situation. It was a lucky shot, but she had worse. Same thing with the cut right below it.

"Remember to smile." She sighed. Advice from Izuku, passed on by All Might, and apparently his mentor beforehand. The 7th holder of this quirk. Mina prepared to strip and get into the shower when she was startled to attention by a loud, violent knocking. So much for a relaxing wind down. Of course.

"Who the hell?" she pondered when the knocking registered. It seemed like her shower would have to wait, as would proper sleep. She decided she would put on a knight gown to make herself more presentable (so certainly not one of the ones she bought with Izuku in mind back before…" Stop it, Mina. Get a hold of yourself." The knocking became louder, know mixed in with kicks and straight up punching of the door. She swore she heard the wood start to splinter.

She took a deep breath before shouting. "I HEARD YOU THE FIRST TIME, DUDE! JEEZE!" she opened the door. She would have been shocked if the impatient, violent assault on her poor door hadn't spoiled it. The light burns marks and nitroglycerine smell certainly didn't help. Still, she found herself questioning anyway.

"Bakugou? "

"Get fucking dressed, Raccoon eyes. We're headed to the gym." He glared, red eyes burning like a freshly lit fuse. "Bring your costume."


	3. We're Gonna Fight

Mina packed a gym bag. It was the color of All Might's first costume. It belonged to Izuku. Of course, she couldn't get rid of it. Not that keeping reminders of him didn't hurt. She couldn't imagine being rid of them though. She placed her Hero costume in the bag, with a small shower kit and a change of clothes. She wore a Black tank top, acid green gym shorts, and Black and green gym shoes with matching socks. She threw a Varsity style jacket over it with Yuuei's colors, then tossed the bag over her shoulders and headed to the door.

"Ok. Let's roll, Hothead. Mina joked through the pain she was in. Humor was all she could do right now to help her through what she was experiencing. Everything was resting on her now, and she still felt a void in her heart without Izuku.

"Fuck off, Pinky." Bakugou scoffed.

"That's Alien Queen, Lord Explosive Diarrhea." She stuck her tongue out and pulled her eyelid down.

"I don't give a shit. And don't fucking call me that! I'll…"

He stopped and reflected, then decided it was a poor choice of words. He growled in visible frustration. "Yeah. Let's roll out."

The two walked in silence to the gym. It wasn't that far away. Eventually, they reached a building owned by two heroes and graduates of Yuuei: Eijiro Kirishima and Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu. While both were still heroes, they decided to open a gym together for heroes in the area to get some training in. It was a godsend, especially in this situation. It was a moderately sized brick building with stylized images of its owners' heads and a dynamic font. Steel Riot Gym, as it was known, officially closed at 10, but accommodations could be made for afterhours training. Eijiro happened to be good friends with both Mina and Bakugou, so they were welcome to come by. Bakugou came by often, so he was used to it, but he hadn't seen Mina at the gym before.

"Sup Bakugou. Here for the usual my…MINA! WHAT'S UP? How are ya holding up?" The exited redhead leapt forward at the sight of his pink friend, rubbing he back of his head as he calmed down.

She spoke kindly as she rested her arms behind her head and smiled at her old classmate. "Hangin' in there, Kirishima. Me and…" she was cut off.

"Sparring match between me and mop top here." He stated plainly.

"Gotcha. Follow me." Kirishima smiled at the two headed through the main workout area into a room towards the back.

Mina and Bakugou followed him into the backroom, which was set up as a sort of Dojo with reinforced walls, specially equipped to handle quirk use. Eijiro walked in behind them, carrying some snacks. He had a feeling his two friends were going to have quite an intense sparring match.

"Come on, Raccoon eyes. Show me what you got. I know what you can do with your acid quirk. Show me how you handle One-For-All."

Mina took a breath and steeled herself. She skated towards Bakugou on a stream of weak acid and shot off it right before she collided with him, lighting up slightly with electrifying energy. It was impressive enough, but Bakugou managed to dodge. She bobbed and weaved, keeping her distance and flinging acid at her sparring partner, but to no avail. The napalm hero managed to keep her on her toes and landed more hits than he received. Mina managed to get an uppercut in after pirouetting around Bakugou's explosions, but he shepherded her into a feint.

Eijiro sat on the sidelines, a mix of concern for his friends and excitement over the raw fighting energy these two were exhibiting. There was pain in both their fists, but there was purpose as well. This was the kind of pure manliness the hardening hero lived for. Regardless of gender, this was an adrenaline rush of pure heroic spirit that inspired him. It was like a live-action Shonen. He was so glad he had gone to the vending machine before this.

"Fucking pathetic. Goddamn Deku dying like a bitch and leaving his quirk to some big pink airhead. Some goddamn symbol of peace. How did you get his quirk? Bedroom?"

Bakugou was rude and had a temper, though it had been tempered over the years, fueling his fighting style, but having been tamed as he grew into a better hero. Still, with all that growth, he was still known as a bit of a jerk. This, however? He had gone too far. Mina's eyes widened and her hands shook. The power surged through her body and acid dripped from her fingers.

"Shut…. your…fucking…. mouth…" she hissed, pain and venom in her eyes.

Bakugou hadn't just touched a nerve. He had smacked all of them at once, like a kid dragging a stick along a fence. Even he was shocked by how it came out and regretted what he said. He knew he had to get her angry. More than that, he had to get her focused.

Bakugou had pushed Mina to the brink. She had made peace with him years ago, as had Izuku, but he was always kind of an asshole and right now, she wasn't in the best of states, Izuku's death fresh in her mind.

"Now we're fucking TALKING! GIVE IT TO ME, RACCOON EYES! EVERYTHING YOU CAN MUSTER! PLUS GODDAMN ULTRA!" He said, winding up a punch, fist sparking with explosive energy. Mina dashed forward too, on a stream of weak acid, while her most potent formed in her palm as she activated One-for all. She hadn't been that used to it, only having it for a couple months, but she did her best to emulate what Izuku had told her about his quirk a while back. She imagined an on switch and skated closer, acid dripping from her hand and sizzling as it hit the floor. An explosion clouded the area when both attacks clashed: acid vs nitro, explosive punch vs burning finger. Their muscles flexed as they struggled against each other. Bakugou had a free hand and prepared to fire at Mina, but she had a split second to grab his arm with her free hand and flip him over her shoulder. The explosive man wasn't the only one with instincts here. They both graduated Yuuei, they both became heroes, and they both learned alongside and sparred with Izuku Midoriya.

Unfortunately, Mina let her guard down as well, Bakugou taking a moment to launch himself upward with a kick. Mina dodged, but tripped a little. That was the lack of balance Bakugou needed to knock her down. He put her in a submission hold, but she could feel the power surging through her body. It hurt like hell. Even knowing that Izuku had to use it bit by bit. Even trying to only activate 10% of it to be cautious, she could still feel her bones ache as the power built up. She shook Bakugou off by doing what looked like "the worm", then transferring into a backspin and spraying Acid around the arena. She was already feeling exhausted, and she had barely gotten started. She knew Izuku had trouble with it at first, but she had been so used to her acid quirk and controlling that.

She had heard and even witnessed Izuku's growth when dealing with his quirk. And yet, it was so much harder to put all that into practice. It was like Izuku's quirk was a barbell, and that, when he passed it to her, he added extra weight. Bakugou charged forward, faster than before. Mina would be ready for him this time. At least, she thought so. Instead, he used the inertia of his movement to drift to her side, avoiding the acid terrain. and deliver a backhand. Mina blocked, but just barely. He flipped over her and shot off a blast at her, sending her backwards and singing her costume. She got careless. She hissed at herself, but smiled with determination. Too much was on the line, even if this was just training.

"Good thing I have a spare." She sighed and panted to herself. Her arm burned and her bones ached, but she wasn't going to give up yet.

"Pretty damn impressive, Raccoon eyes, but you're not used to that power yet. It's mixed with your quirk, but"

"It stockpiles power." She pouted. Getting it in the end.

"Also, going in for vengeance is going to get you fucking killed. What use is a dead symbol of pea." Bakugou had meant that merely as a warning, but, just like his quirk, his words burned. Mina punched him square in the jaw, breaking her arm and sending Bakugou flying against the wall.

"HOW FUCKING DARE, YOU!"

Mina's eyes had widened again, both at Bakugou's words and how she had sent him against a wall. Eijiro had panicked and went to go see if Bakugou was ok, but he recovered quickly and came rocketing towards Mina. He didn't say a word. He had a look of death on his face as he closed in, propelling himself with his quirk. Mina held her arm, tears streaming down her face as she clutched her arm in pain, bracing for Bakugou's attack.

What happened next took all three by surprise. Bakugou had stopped himself in front of Mina, grabbed her and pulled her into a hug.

"I'm fucking sorry…. I know you miss him."

Mina wanted to shout at him but she was so stunned. She could have sworn she felt a single tear from him, but she just thought she was imagining it. She knew she was imagining it when she heard a low, growly "me too."

Bakugou et go and started walking away. "Spike head clean this shit up. Your gym's a mess…Ashido…. rest your damn arm and take some fucking baby steps. We'll resume when you're healed. Go see Recovery Girl or some shit. You have a job to do."

With that, Bakugou stormed silently out of the gym and into the night. Eijiro and Mina looked at each other in astonishment. She was still angry at Bakugou. His verbal attacks were as potent as his physical one, but she nodded. He was right. She had a job to do.

In a hidden warehouse, in parts unknown, a faint light was shining. Two figures walked through a hallway, towards their main destination. They eventually arrived in a makeshift laboratory. The centerpiece of this room was a large tank, housing what appeared to be a nomu, but with its features hard to make out. Somehow, this one was different, in that its brain was not visible. It wore goggles and a breathing mask, as well as various censors and probes. In the corner, a desk filled with books and papers in various states of disarray sat, barely touched by the light emitted by the tank.

A laptop lit up on a lab bench closer to the tank. The bench was covered with binders full of genetic information, quirk stats, and some recovered notebooks that seemed to be over a decade old. The voice emanated from the laptop, strained and impatient, yet masked by aloofness delivered by a masked figure with visible scars.

"You guys are taking way too long. How is our coming along?" the laptop man asked, scratching at his neck as if he had fallen into a batch of poison ivy.

"Nearly there. He should be ready to debut soon, sir." The one figure spoke, a man in his thirties wearing goggles and a cloak. The other figure, a young woman dressed similarly to her partner, but with a mask, tapped her foot impatiently while gripping a clipboard and going over data.

The two scientists looked upon the tank, labeled "Project -9" as its inhabitant stirred slightly in his sterile womb of glass. His fist seemed to clench and glow slightly, but soon rested again.

"Keep me up to speed. I'm getting anxious over this." The laptop man smiled before fading out.

Mina Ashido had been having a rough few months. She would look at them more fondly soon enough, as things were about to get worse.


	4. Early Mourning Routine

Mina had set her alarm to the time Izuku would have set his: 6:30. She had always wanted to be a hero and now she was filling the role of symbol of peace. She was more of a team player than a solo act, so she decided to implement that to make it her own. She remembered a conversation she had with Izuku a few years back, about being there when he needed it. They were partners and he would never have to shoulder the burden of "symbol of peace" alone. She had argued that one pillar doesn't exactly make a steady foundation unless it's a big pillar. Izuku had been taken by surprise before falling into contemplative silence. He then smiled at his girlfriend. "That's a good point, Mina. I should have considered that before. Thank you."

"No problem. You may be smart and strong, but you're not a god, dude. Nobody can know everything. Besides, it's easy to forget things sometimes." She reassured cheerily as she kissed his cheek and the memory faded to white.

Mina thought back on this, not just to remember the good times, or to reflect upon how collaboration would be key in her new position, but because, even though she was going to do this her way, she still had to shake herself out of previous comfort zones to do a better job. Hence why she was now more of an early bird than she had been for most of her life. She freshened up and put on her spare costume, her other one being dirty from last night's training. It was for the best anyway, as this was an upgraded version she had asked for, with some modifications to the color scheme and some new tech she was hyped to test out (acid-proof surfboard for the win!).

She stepped out of the door and took a deep breath, closing her eyes. She then bent her knees and shot into the sky, somersaulting through the air and landing gracefully on the pavement several feet away from her apartment building's railing, a steady coating of weak acid forming beneath her feet as she began her morning commute. She had a communicator built into her wrist of her costume (one of the new features Mei had built in. Momo helped make some awesome modifications as well. Collaboration really was important in this line of work)

While skating through the streets of Tokyo, scanning for anything amiss, Mina thought she saw something through the corner of her eye. She had probably just imagined it, as it faded away before she could fully register it. However, it seemed to resemble a Nomu in build, but less bulky and without the exposed brain. Its face was vague and almost wood like, like a mask. She shrugged it off and looked at her wrist, hearing an alarm emanating from it. There seemed to be a robbery in progress.

"Guess I'm not the only one up earlier than they should be." Mina yawned, still in the process of waking up.

As she took on more of a speed-skating form and leapt towards her destination, the wood masked creature observed her from afar, making calculations in a silent, almost computer-like manner. The creature lumbered forth, corpse-like, assumed a stance, and leapt skyward as well.

In the same warehouse where the creature was born, scientists were observing its movement through a subcutaneous tracking device in the middle of the 9 tattooed on its neck. "You know what to do." A voice spoke smoothly, giving orders to its puppet. "Get to work, minus."

It was a slow day otherwise. A bank robbery here, some joker in a mech suit there. Mina didn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed. She stopped by a nearby market to buy some groceries for the week. She was close enough to her apartment again that she could run them in and head back out on patrol.

"Mina! Hey, over here!" a voice called out. Mina looked behind her to see Ochako Uraraka in her hero garb, also out on patrol.

"Ochako? I didn't expect to see you here. I thought your turf was in another prefecture these days." Mina exclaimed, giving her friend a hug.

"Yeah, but I had some errands to run here. How have you been? Haven't seen or heard from you since…" Ochako hesitated before Mina placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah. Sorry about that." Mina had been a bit busy and hadn't made as much time for social calls as she would have liked. She was wrapped up in her new role and was committed to it, even if she feared she was in over her head.

"You have nothing to apologize for. You've been busy. I understand." The gravity-quirk user beamed before looking to the side and brushing her arm.

Things got rather awkward for a moment. They both missed Izuku and both had feelings for him at one point or another. Ochako had accepted Izuku and Mina as a couple and oved on, but losing him still left a massive hole in the hearts of both women. Still, there was more to catch up on than dead men.

"Anyway, I don't want to keep you. We should catch up sometime though. It's been way too long." Ochako waved before turning.

"It really has. Here. I have a new number." Mina said, taking out a notepad and writing her number down for Ochaco. "Here you go. When we're both free, we should get coffee or something. Maybe we can make a thing of it. It can be like the old days."

Ochako seemed solemn for a moment, as if a wave of memories had hit her. She perked up and gave her old friend a warm smile. "That would be great, actually. Thanks. I'll call you tonight so you have my number too."

"Great! See ya, Ochako!" Mina waved a goodbye as they parted company and went onto with their days.

Mina headed back to her apartment to drop off her groceries. As she was halfway done putting them away, her communicator watch started going haywire. She sighed, stowed the last bag in a cabinet to deal with later, then exited through the door and locked up. As she leapt into the air again, she was speared into a nearby building by the wood-faced monster, a bask covering its face, resembling that of smiling puppet. Its lidless eyes darted around beneath the mask, watching Mina's every move. She closed her eyes and tried activating full cowl, but she was smacked out of the air by her opponent like a volleyball. Mina rubbed her head, recovering from the harsh blow that sent her to the ground. She dodged a quick follow-up from the creature and put some distance between the two so she could get in touch with the police. He

"Sorry officers. On my way. Just got held up by this creepy monster dude."

"Thank goodness, Alien Queen. We need your help as soon as possible. We can try and contact another hero if you're busy. This seems like a coordinated attack."

"I wouldn't doubt it. OOF!" she went flying through the air again. It felt like she was hit by a truck that had another truck welded on top.

"Is everything ok?" the officer's voice inquired over the wrist-phone.

"Yeah. Just give me a little. You might have to call someone else. I'm under attack and can't get an opening. I'll get there as soon as I can. Sorry."

"Understood. We'll get Ingenium on the case. Just be safe." The call faded out as Mina steeled herself for battle.

"OUT OF MY DAMN WAY, PINKY!" a familiar voice exploded as it rocketed into the abomination. To Bakugou's annoyance and horror, not only was the creature unfazed, but it paused for a second before mimicking his movements before sending Bakugou backwards, into a parked car. It then prepared a powerful kick, flying towards the blonde hero. Mina stepped in and pooled up her acid in her hand and lit her body up with One-For-All.

"Back off, dude! ANDROMEDA SMASH!" Mina cried as she shot at the creature and started spinning midair, connecting with a powerful uppercut.

"Get out of here, Raccoon eyes. You have a job to do."

"Yeah, right here."

"I'll handle this fucker. GET GOING, GODDAMMIT!" the explosive man growled. He was ready to get to business and it looked like he had an impatient client waiting in front of him.

"Ok, Jeez. See ya." Mina said, checking her hearing playfully. "Thanks, Bakugou." She got going as fast as she could as Bakugou nodded sternly before turning his attention back to his opponent.

"Kirishima, It's Mina."

"What's up, Horn buddy?" the hero known as Red Riot chimed happily. Mina perked up a little at his use of "horn buddy" but now wasn't the time for small talk.

"You know how to get to my place, right?" she asked.

"Yeah. It's not far, right? Why?" Kirishima knew from her tone that this wasn't a social call. He seemed concerned.

"Bakugou needs help. The police need me elsewhere. Could you help me out? I wish I could stay, but it might be urgent.

"Say no more. On my way. I might bring Tetsutetsu if I see him on the way."

"Thanks, Eijiro! I owe you!" Mina nodded and smiled, though it was tinged with guilt for leaving her friend to fight this monstrosity. She wanted to call it a nomu, but it was different somehow, like a next step in evolution.

"No problem. Get going, Mina. Bakugou and I got this!" his voice seemed peppy, but kind of awkward, as he wasn't used to Mina using his first name like that. "Man, had they grown up already? Ten years fly by fast." he thought. She hoped he wasn't in over his head, but two pros should be able to take this thing down. Or at least, that's what she hoped. There was a creeping fear in the back of her head, combined with that dreaded familiarity that she just couldn't place.

Mina skated towards the site of the turmoil, looking back with guilt as Bakugou fought the strange beast. She noticed that its head tilted towards her, as if it was targeting her, but couldn't get past the hero known as Napalm King. She turned back towards her goal, being unable to shake a strange sense of déjà vu from the monster's movements. Had she seen them before?

"Focus, Mina." She hissed to herself before calling the police at her destination. "Napalm King and Red Riot are taking care of the masked creature. I'm on my way, officers. What's the situation?"

"It's calmed down now. We managed to secure the scene. Ingenium rounded up the villains at the scene. He brought Uravity and Fahrenheit for backup."

"Yeah. Sorry I couldn't be there. I'll be there nest time."

"It's not your fault. In fact, the villain that attacked you might have ties to this incident." The officer on the line stated calmly. Mina thought they would be more upset, but those last words put it all together, as did the tone of voice the officer used. Something was going on, something more sinister than an average act of aggression by a villain or a bank robbery by some street gang like NEXT.

"What was the incident? Is anyone hurt?" Mina was taking this much more seriously than she was used to. She knew the reality of heroics and the duty she held, especially as of this year. Still, she tried to keep an upbeat attitude. There was a time and a place, though, and it seemed like she was in the wrong town on the wrong day.

"There were actually two. The first was a hostage situation at a nearby bank, two blocks from the hero cemetery. There were a few injuries, but no casualties. Your friends managed to make sure of that. It's the second incident that has me more worried though. It's…not so much a disaster as a mystery. The monuments to All-Might and Deku were demolished. Deku's grave was dug up and desecrated." The policeman seemed weary. On its surface, it was property damage and vandalism. However, given the target, there was something more at play here. "We believe this was meant as a message. Possibly for you. At first, we thought it might have been an isolated incident, but the creature you mentioned…. Cast doubt on that."

"…. Any leads?" Mina asked lowly, having been struck silent for what seemed like an eternity.

"Nothing conclusive, but we have an eyewitness you might want to talk to. Said they saw a masked creature at the scene." As he said this, it clicked in Mina's head and her speed increased.

"I'm on my way." Mina hung up and slid as fast as she could, eventually just leaping skyward.


	5. Lights Out

Mina stood at the ruins of her fiancée's grave. The monument was destroyed, as was that of All-Might. However, Izuku's grave site was special. It was the only one that had been dug up. The coffin had been clawed at and the lid had been ripped off the hinges before it had been slammed down. Mina's eyes were wide open, her fists clenched as she tried to hold back tears.

"You said this not-a-noumu was seen at the scene of the crime?" Mina asked, curious about how the creature was involved.

"Yes, m'aam. Eyewitnesses said they saw the creature skulking around the site. We have officers investigating the matter to see if the creature left any genetic material so we can get a lead. Missing criminals have been used for Noumus before. We might be able to get somewhere."

"Thanks, officer. Take care!" Mina gave a small salute before taking to the streets. The officers went back to work. They would do whatever they could to identify the perp, but if it was anything like a noumu, they probably wouldn't get anywhere identifying its former identity without capturing it first, even with a decade of advancements in techniques and technology.

Mina headed back towards her apartment. At best, she could get some rest. At worst, that beast would still be there. She wasn't totally dreading it though. She wanted another crack at it, for what it did to Deku's grave. She tried to tell herself that Izuku wouldn't want this, and that revenge was poison, but right now, all she wanted to do was take this creature down and get it into police custody.

Mina checked in with Kirishima and Bakugou to see how they were doing. However, they weren't answering. Mina was starting to panic, but she steeled herself and activated the surfboard on her costume, using it to slide faster as she secreted more liquid to speed herself up. She eventually just took to leaping from building to building with One-For-All. Sparks flew off her body as she danced over the rooftops with all the speed and grace she could muster.

When Mina arrived, the creature was long gone, but her friends were still there, battered and broken, but still alive. Bakugou had been smashed through a wall and was unconscious while Kirishima had been tossed on top of his friend.

Bakugou stormed off in rage before Mina had much time to talk to him, but she could have sworn he had a look of fear in his eyes, as if something that made no sense was hitting him in the face. Kirishima was not left alone, as Tetsutetsu was underneath some rubble nearby.

"A-ashido?" Kirishima dragged himself upward, barely conscious enough to do so.

"Stay still, dude. You look like you've seen hell." Mina voiced her concern for one of her oldest friends.

"Yeah, that thing hit like a…no. It hit like five trucks! I couldn't keep up, even with help. Maybe you'll fair better." Kirishima coughed, rubbing his head as if he had bumped it on a steel girder while riding a roller coaster. That's what it felt like at least, minus the decapitation.

"Maybe." Even with One-for-All, Mina was concerned. She didn't have full control. She had only had it for a couple months and, given how it was explained to her, it accumulated power, so it would be more powerful for her than it was with Izuku. All that power was like a Bazooka in the hands of a child. The knockback, was just as brutal as the power itself without proper control, not like that stopped Izuku early on.

"Mina…. no. Don't go. It's…. It's still here." He croaked achily. He had certainly been through worse, as he still had his skin, but he would be damned if this wasn't a close second to that.

Mina looked in the direction of her apartment and saw that the door was ripped off its hinges. She approached with caution. The monster had smashed up the doorway, bits of debris almost tripping Mina up. The pink hero witnessed the creature rummaging through the place, like a bear rummaging for food. Mina felt a range of emotions in that moment: fear for her life and for those of anyone else in the creature's path, anger at what it did to Izuku's and All-Might's graves, annoyance at her place being wrecked, and confusion as to why. She noticed a tattoo on the back of its neck: a negative nine. It reminded her a little of a manga she picked up once or twice as a kid. If it had a hole on its body, she would have named it Hollow, just so she could stop calling it "the creature". Eventually, she settled on "Minus", just so she had a clearer way of identifying her foe by name.

Minus stopped and turned around, flicking its wrist with great force and nearly knocking Mina backwards.

"Hey creepy! Nobody invited you!" Mina grunted, bracing herself from the impact. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to pay for damages to my apartment? My landlord won't be thrilled." She teased her opponent, not being able to resist. Banter came naturally to her as a hero. While someone like Bakugou was more no-nonsense and Izuku was more noble and calculating in life, Mina couldn't resist a good quip here and there. Her personality just leant itself well to throwing them out as she maneuvered around her foes attacks. Izuku once likened her to a pink, curly-haired Spider-man, even though Kamui wood was more similar in terms of costume and movement than she was. Still, she had been fond of the comparison. She shook her head. Now was not the time to be thinking of Izuku. He was dead, lost to her. And now she had to carry on his legacy. She might have been jokey and outgoing, but she was very serious about the responsibility she now held, and she refused to fail.

Mina lured Minus out, but it had little interest in fighting. It merely stared Mina down, then hit Mina with a hard knee to the stomach and an over the shoulder toss. Mina gritted her teeth and leapt back towards the thing known as Minus, filling one hand both palms with acid and holding them to her side. She made the strongest acid possible and filled her hands with it, smacking Minus' cheeks with both hands as hard as she could without breaking her own bones.

"GEMINI CLAP!" she shouted, sparks flying off her body from Full Cowl as the force of her strike combined with the burning acid, her skin burning and stinging as she did so. She then delivered a powerful knee to her opponent's stomach and axe-handled it into the pavement. She leapt back as Minus got up, dusting itself off. Mina braced herself, sighing as she thought of the repercussions this fight would have for the city and for her home. She feared that, hero or not, she would have to pay a butt ton for repairs and end p moving out. Or maybe she could stay if she begged. Her landlord would be pissed, either way. The thought of leaving the home she and Izuku shared was too painful to her, even if it had been ransacked by someone's science project.

The creature let out an incoherent noise as Mina grinned with determination. Smiling had come easily to her, especially before it all happened, but she couldn't help but think of All-Might in this moment. And of the hero named Deku. That beautiful boy who stole her heart. Smiling then became simultaneously easy and difficult as tears streamed down her cheek.

"Bring it, you Silent Hill reject!" she lunged forward at the monster, sliding on a trail of acid and leaping onto its mask at the last minute, taking it by surprise. She dug her heel into its mask, acid burning the surface of it, and she rocketed into the air with acrobatic flourish. Acid pooled in her hand again, but this time, she adjusted the pH of some of the acid to its most basic form (a trick she learned years ago from training with Izuku and Momo. She had been so proud to have those two adorable nerds in her life, especially her Izu). The rest of the liquid, she had made particularly acidic. The combination of both led to a color change and a reaction she used as a veil, coming down on her target, before dispersing her quirk onto its shoulder and punching it hard in the face, cracking its mask and sending it down for the count.

"RIDLEY SHOT!" she yelled confidently. Sha had been particularly proud of that attack name, but decided she would congratulate herself for perfecting it later. She panted a little, but was still able to stand. She almost felt as if this was too easy.

She was soon proven right as the monster rose up, its puppet like mask falling to the ground in pieces as it grabbed her by the throat and stared at her with its uneven, green eyes and its crusty, orange lips. Its large fist pulled back for a strike, the muscles in its arm tensing as it prepared its attack. And like the ball of a pinball machine being launched, it rocketed toward Mina, sending her flying into a car. Blood flew out of her mouth as all the air flew out of her lungs like a deflating balloon. It got worse as she felt a heavy knee dig into her ribs, breaking several of them, if they weren't that way already. She was surprised she hadn't died instantly, and even more surprised at how hard this thing hit. Mina panted and wheezed as she thought to herself "Kirishima wasn't kidding. Holy fuck!" After that, everything faded to black.

As she fainted, the creature she had dubbed Minus paused, looking at her with its green eyes before jerking its head to the side. As if it was being beckoned somewhere, Minus took to the sky, almost soaring through the air as it left for parts unknown. But first, it stopped back at Mina's ruined apartment to grab what it came for. It grabbed a box of journals and took to the skies once more.

As it left, two new figures arrived on the scene, with one hovering over Mina with concern and shock, draping one of the pink woman's arms over her own neck as she lifted the unconscious Ridley hero and prepared to take her to a hospital.


	6. Musketeers

"Mina…"

"Mina….."

"Open your eyes…. please…"

The pink woman with the acid quirk woke up in what appeared to be a black void, in which every sound seemed to echo. If she squinted, she could make out a few lights. Nine, to be exact. She felt odd, like she should be floating in space. There didn't look to be a floor or walls or anything, just this blackness with distant beacons, and a familiar voice that had softly woke her up.

It felt like ages as she called out, but the voice never answered. She felt like she was floating in space, but there were no stars or planets. Only those faint lighthouses in the seemingly endless horizon. At the very least, she could breathe. All Mina heard were the echoes of her own questions.

"Where am I?"

"Am I dead?"

That last one sent shivers down her spine a little, but also a deepening sense of disappointment.

"If so, man, I went out like a chump, instead of a champ." She pondered. She stretched out her legs and arms and managed to touch ground, shocking her a little. If she was dead, she had hoped she would at least see a Shinigami. More importantly, she hoped she could see him once more.

Mina found herself able to walk, as if it were just a normal room, which was freaking her out a little. Still she shook it off and headed forward, her head in a daze. As she walked, the void continued. It felt like eternity and she wasn't sure if that was her or the void itself. However, after a period that she could not quantify, the void seemed to fill with little tv screens, replaying moments gone by that she had not been present for. Memories replayed that were not her own, like a museum of days gone by. Faintly, she could hear voices calling out to her. None of them were easily recognizable at first.

"Rise up."

"You have a responsibility."

"It is yours now."

They seemed like they should resonate more, but they didn't hold much weight for Mina. Every voice got gradually louder, like a distant whisper drawing nearer. By the 7th voice, Mina could recognize it as that of a woman, one she had never met before, but that had that distant familiarity nagging at the far reaches of her mind like ancestral memory, in a similar way to those that preceded it.

"No matter how scary things get, give a smile and say "I'm A-Okay. Even through the pain, the people who can smile are always the strongest."

The next voice, which Mina referred to as "head ghosts" was far more familiar, as were the void screen images. She had seen a lot of them play on TV and some of them she recognized in person. She had a suspicion she knew what was going on, but this clenched it. These were the previous holders of One-For-All. She was awestruck that she was hearing and seeing all this. Was she dead? Unconscious? In a trance? Either way, she was getting advice from these echoes of wielders past.

"Head ghosts? No. They're musketeers." Mina thought.

"Stand proud, Ashido. You wield a great power and the responsibility that comes with it. You are a beacon to the world now, shining brighter than everyone who preceded you. Get up and show the world you aren't finished yet! ANNOUNCE WITH A SMILE THAT YOU ARE HERE!"

Mina would have been both inspired and frightened by the fact that she was getting advice from ghosts inside her mind, but also inspired because she was talking to freaking All-Might one last time. However, all those feelings were shoved aside by the creeping dread of what would come next. She stopped dead in her tracks as the tears came.

"If…all of those voices were previous owners of One-For-All…."

"Hi Mina." There it was. The first voice to greet her. The one that woke her up. The one she knew the best and the one she missed the most. She turned slowly, daggers digging into her heart. The memories were like shards piercing her soul. Her knees buckled as the tears welled up. Her eyes widened as she turned to face the speaker.

Floating there, in an ethereal light, in the costume she recognized so well, the one he saved countless lives in, the one he died in, was Mina's immediate predecessor: Izuku Midoriya.

His smile just lit up the entire void. She could swear it was white now. Several memories played that she wasn't around for but she recognized, clear as day, those that she was. She could barely stand at this point, the man she loved standing before her like an angel.

"D-did you miss me?" the figure bashfully rubbed the back of his head as he gazed into the wide, tear-filled eyes of his fiancée. She was looking up at him now, on her knees in a heap. She reached up to touch him, but she could not get up. Was all this too much for her? Was she afraid he was as ghostly as he appeared and that her hand would pass through him, causing the man she loved to disappear all over again?

"I already know the answer to that, I guess." He chuckled lightly, framed by images of the day they first met, their first date, their first kiss, and so on.

"I-izuku…." Her eyes clenched shut to keep the tears from falling anymore.

"I wish I could hold you right now…. tell you it would be alright…. But…." Izuku reached out his hand to touch her head and it passed through her head. Her eyes shot open again, disappointed that this was possibly a dream after all. She should have known, but it still hurt all the same.

"I miss you. I miss you so damn much. Please come back." Mina couldn't hold back anymore. She had done her best to stand up to villainy with a smile, even before she had One-For-All. Heck, smiling was her thing before she met Izuku. And yet, now, he had been such a big part of her life, that losing him, and now having him before her eyes was too much to handle. Being unable to hold him once more just made it worse.

"You're a great hero, Mina. You'll be a greater one than me even."

"BULLSHIT!" she yelled, tears fluting freely as she rocketed up and tried to hold him again, her hands passing through again. "I CAN'T DO WHAT YOU CAN! I CAN'T DO THIS WITHOUT YOU!"

Any thoughts she had in her head that this was an after image or some prerecorded afterlife message were dispelled when Izuku's eyes widened, then narrowed.

"I know, Ashi. I know you're scared. I trusted you though. We have been through everything together, and I couldn't think of a better fit."

"I….I need you to save me. I know it seems weird to you, but something is up right now. Something strange, and I need your help."

"But I couldn't save…"

"Stop that. Where's the Mina I know?"

"Right here, dude, crying on the floor in front of her dead fiancée." She sniffled, managing to be sarcastic, even when she could barely breathe right now.

"That's better." The ghost smiled. His face took on a sadder expression. "I…I don't know if it will help, but I'm always here." He pointed to her chest.

"My heart. I know." She appreciated it. She really did, especially hearing it from him. However, this wasn't the first time she had heard that, and even now, it still didn't feel complete. She didn't feel complete.

"Um…yes. Exactly." Izuku's spectral form appeared to blush, despite not being tangible. He coughed into his hand.

Mina laughed through the tears. "You perverted dork!" If she had a pillow, she would have thrown it at his ghostly head.

"There she is. There's my Mina." Izuku smiled again, that angelic smile of his that had been both a comfort and a source of pain to Mina of late, "I know you feel trapped. I understand that…. More than you know. So, I want you to do something."

"Anything…" Mina would do anything for him, to see his smile, but she knew this would probably be some Saturday morning message like "Brush your teeth", "Keep my memory alive", or "Move on." Instead, she heard something more akin to what she wanted to hear. Something that took her by surprise.

"Head back to the scene of the crime." Izuku blurred away into nothingness as the light got brighter and brighter.

"Save me..."

Mina woke up in the rubble, her blurry vision adjusting as she was surrounded by a few concerned citizens and colleagues.

"Are you ok?" asked Kirishima, now up and around, but still worse for wear from his battle with Minus. He looked like he had been through a train wreck.

Mina nodded, got up and headed straight for the cemetery where Izuku was buried. She had dreamed about it. She had seen it in ruins. Now she had some unfinished business there. "I'll talk to you later, Kiri. I have work to do."

She headed there as fast as her legs could take her. Izuku's words echoed in her head.

"Go to the scene of the crime."

"Save me"

She wasn't sure if this was the crime he meant, if this would work, or if it was an end deader than he was. Heck, this whole thing might have just been a hallucination brought on by head trauma. But she had to be sure. She didn't have a real lead besides this dream, but now she had something else that she would not let go of, even if her every instinct was telling her to not get it up.

Mina Ashido had hope.

"I hope I'm not going crazy, Izu. I hope we can be a team again."

Mina thought she heard a voice whisper on the wind "Like musketeers…"


	7. Close to Your Heart

Mina rushed to the crime scene. She didn't have much reason to. In all likelihood, nothing had been found yet. Before she had her lights knocked out by the mysterious noumu, she had previously been there. If anything, she would have to wait. These things took time, far more time than police procedurals let on. Unfortunately, time wasn't a luxury. Mina stopped. Was all that just a dream? Wishful thinking? It had to be. There is no way you can truly bring the dead back to life. That was just too fantastical, even in this world of quirks and powers. Still, Mina had something that she had lost for a while, even as she had done her best to embody it. Mina Ashido had hope, and she would cling to it like a mother to her child. "Hang in there, Izuku. One way or another, I'll fix this."

However, there was another priority besides cryptic dream messages and odd omens. Mina would have to apprehend the creature dubbed Minus and hand it over to the police. The sooner the better, too. Who knows what further damage it could cause. It already wrecked her home, knocked her out, and made quick work of some of her friends (and whatever Bakugou was). Ore than that, though, there was something deeply unsettling about Minus. Its movements seemed so familiar. Its eyes rang a bell that gave Mina a sense of dread, deep in her subconscious. And yet a part of her was drawn to the monster, as If it was a missing piece, looking to restore something broken. She shook her head and returned to work.

Mina's scanner in her wrist was broken, so she would have to get it replaced. "Looks like I'm off to Mei's." she sighed. She had no problem with Mei Hatsume. Far from it. Her costume modifications were top notch and she was a longtime friend and ally. However, Mina still felt eager to get back into action. Aside from the threat of Minus on the loose, there were likely more people in need of her help. However, she would need to do better than stumbling around blind, looking for people to help. Plus, she was still banged up from her previous fight. She had to make some stops.

Mina approached an office building. It wasn't grand or spectacular, but it was still impressive. Hatsume tech was a recent startup, only about two years old, but Mei had done a lot in that short amount of time. She had worked her way up to get where she was now, and she was proud of her little start-up. Mina smiled to herself about how some old friends of hers had their own businesses and she currently didn't have a place to stay until she could get her apartment repaired.

Mina stopped by the front desk, where a woman with thick-rimmed glasses and cropped blue hair was answering the phones, four arms reaching in different directions and bringing things to her. She couldn't have been much older than 21, so Mina was 5 years her senior.

"I'm here to see Miss Hatsume." Mina leaned on the counter.

"Do you have an appointment, miss?" The girl spoke, adjusting her cat-eye glasses go cover her actual cat-like eyes.

"Alien Queen. And no, but-" Mina was interrupted by the young receptionist, raven hair cropped short.

"I am sorry, Miss Alien Queen, but Miss Hatsume is very busy at the moment and-" It was the receptionist's turn to be interrupted as an eccentric woman in a labcoat, steampunk goggles, and a humorous science-related t-shirt stepped out to greet Mina.

"Nonsense. This is an esteemed friend and colleague, Tatsuki. Don't be such a stiff. Come. Sit, I'll make coffee and show you my latest babies."

"So, what brings you here, Ashido?" Mei greeted cheerfully.

"I…I um need repairs." She held up her wrist communicator and showed off her costume, currently damaged from her previous battle.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY CHILD?" Me exclaimed exasperation, holding up Mina's wrist to look at the broken communicator watch.

"I kind of got slammed around after getting ambushed in my own home. Cut me some slack." Mina exhaled as her shoulders slumped, a pout on her face. She almost felt like her old self again. That was worrying her a little, but she could deal with that later.

Mei sighed and shrugged. "It's just as well. I did have an update in mind I have been working on. Your timing is near perfect. It still needs some final touchups. Wait around a bit. Have some coffee.

"Coffee sounds great, actually." Mina, even in times of emotional struggle, could never turn down caffeine, at least not for very long. Izuku was the greatest love of her life, but coffee was the first.

"I knew you would say that, Ashido." Mei laughed. "Coffee machine is in the lounge."

"Thank you, Hatsume. You are a god send." Mina was never so relieved in her past few months in her tenure as the World's greatest Hero. There was a lot of pressure involved there, but she tried the best she could. Mina paused. "Hey…. I doubt it, but do you have showers here? My apartment was trashed by a villain." *she rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.

Mei looked at her like a cat that had been given an instruction manual. "Ashido, we are a support start-up in a small office building. What kind of office building has such facilities. Mina couldn't argue with that and was ready to call it quits. Mei, however, placed her hands on her hips and grinned. "Ours does! That's who!" Mina smiled slightly. That was another item on the checklist.

Mina finished her coffee and tossed the disposable cup in the trash as she stepped into the bathroom, which was on the other side of a moderately sized training area. Since the tech would need to be tested, Mei had been able to justify the need for such facilities. She pretty much lived at her office, so that was another reason, but she assured investors that it was far more practical than just her wonky sleep hours and eccentric work ethic.

Mina stepped onto the smooth tile floor, taking off her uniform and draping it over a bench. Since she was getting a new one, she didn't see too much reason to fold it. She walked over to the sink and checked the mirror. She looked exhausted and beat up.

"I really could use a nice shower." She sighed, taking off the gold locket she had received as a birthday gift from Izuku two years ago. In the center were two gemstones: pink and green. Each one formed half of a heart. On either side of the heart were hers and Izuku's engagement rings. She hadn't opened it since less than a month before Izuku died. She hadn't seen much need to open it since then. She had thought about it, since she missed him sorely, but she just thought it would hurt too much, so she just never dared. However, now, she was having thoughts. She was arguing with herself over them.

"People don't just come back from the dead. This isn't Dragon Ball."

"Yeah, but we live in a world of superheroes and advanced science. Surely weirder things can happen."

"But that's reality. This? This is fantasy. He's never coming back."

"But what if he can?"

She really didn't want to get her hopes up over such a miraculous notion, but her heart was racing. She had to be sure.

Shrugging, She decided to open the locket and have a good look inside. Something fell out as she opened the charm to see the picture of her and Izuku on the day he proposed. It was on Dagobah beach and it was the happiest moment of both their lives. Mina turned to look at the piece of paper that fell into the sink. It was folded intricately enough to fit into the locket.

Mina unfolded the paper and furrowed her brow, preparing to read it. Her eyes widened, and the tears poured down steadily now. It was his wedding vows. That green haired dork folded his wedding vows in her locket. He probably did it while she was asleep, as a sort of surprise. Maybe he sensed his own demise somehow. Mina didn't want to think about it Her heart had hurt enough as is, especially with these feelings of hope and all these questions opening like doors in a hallway. Regardless, it was very in line with what a romantic dork he could be, sometimes even defying logic despite being an intelligent young man who often muttered to himself in contemplation. Mina had teased him about it and he had mellowed out over time, but she still caught him doing it now and then when he was still with her. God she missed him.

She gathered her thoughts and read the note.

"I, Izuku Midoriya, vow to take Mina Ashido, to have and to hold, through every storm and battle, through sickness, health, and foliage, for the rest of our lives, til death and beyond. As my beloved wife."

There were multiple notes in the margins, such as "Is this too cheesy?I know you'll tease me for it, but I wouldn't have it any other way.", "It can probably be longer." And "I also vow to add ladders to every tree. As a hero and a husband."

Tears hit the page as she smiles widely through it all.

"You fucking dork. You weren't supposed to show me your vows."

Mia tucked the note away, placed it back in the locket, and closed it, setting it on the sink. Mina stripped out of her underwear and walked to the shower, turning on the water and letting it hit her, washing away the blood, dirt, and tears from her body as she stared at the tile floor, lost in thought. Was this what he was like? Lost in thought, muttering through every possibility, arguing with himself over what move to make? She chuckled to herself. He really did rub off on her. That made her miss him even more. As the water came down, the thoughts flooded her head once more.

"You're deluding yourself. Get a grip. You have work to do. You have a responsibility now, AQ."

She lazily reached for shampoo and conditioner that had been left there. They were probably Mei's. Mina would make it up to her. She could run a quick errand as long as it wasn't out of the way. Mina didn't like taking other people's stuff without permission, but she had a feeling Mei wouldn't flip over it. Besides, it's not like she had been able to pack an overnight bag in case something like this happened. Not even Izuku would have done something like that. Izuku. He just would never leave her heart or mind. Then again, it wasn't like she ever wanted that. It brought her pain and sorrow, true. However, the thought of letting go just seemed like an act of betrayal to him and his memory, that being all she had left of him besides his belongings, which she held onto. Mina grabbed some body wash and lathered up a nearby luffa sponge to wash herself. As she rinsed, she continued to herself.

"You need to let go. We need to let go. I loved him. I still do. That won't stop. But what good will moping over him do? I have a duty as a hero. I need to protect people. I need to…"

"I need to have hope. I need to provide hope. Peace is important. All-Might and Deku, they served as symbols. Pillars. But people need hope to get there. They need a dream to work towards and the inspiration to do so."

Mina finished bathing, let the water hit her throat and chest and smiled slowly at the ceiling before turning off the water and drying off.

"That's it. I need to hold on. He's out there. And I will bring him back. One way or another. That's what I will symbolize. This is my role. I'm not just Izuku's replacement. I am Alien Queen."

"What are you doing in there? You better not have used my soaps." Mei called into the bathroom, catching Mina off guard. The pink woman blushed slightly in embarrassment. She should have known her off the cuff shounen speech would be overheard.

"Um…" Mina struggled to find words for the situation. She knew the issue wasn't serious, but she was still at a loss.

"You're buying me more, Ashido." Mei pouted.

"I'll write you an IOU." The hero known as Alien Queen shrugged as she threw her towel over the bench in the locker room, over her old costume.

"You better. Dry off and get dressed. Actually, just underwear. I have a present for you." Mina put on her bra and panties, followed by her locket. She wished she had her hairdryer, but it was short notice. She just shoved her head under the hand dryer a few times.

"Close enough." She smiled softly.

Mina walked out, having dried off. She stood in the training area and stretched her arms and legs as Mei walked out holding a silver briefcase, containing Mina's new costume. The tech girl handed it over to Mina, who opened it up and feasted her eyes on her new suit. It was mostly like the old ones, but it had lines on the arms and chest now, similar to her two immediate predecessors. A stylized "AQ" belt-buckle had made its way into her ensemble, housing some simple but effective tools, just in case she needed them.

"This baby might be my finest work. I fixed the communicator and gave it a sturdier casing, without sacrificing its audio capabilities. What's the point of a communicator if you can't hear anything?"

"I also added wrist blasters for acid spray, sturdier gauntlets, reinforced but light-weight shoes for stronger kicks without sacrificing the intricacies of your movements, that surfboard attachment on your back that you insisted on."

"Because it's cool!" Mina fired back as she held the case in her hands and started putting on her costume. It fit her well.

"Whatever, Mina." Mei rolled her eyes. Mina was right though. It was cool. "AAAAAAAAND…."

"Mina noticed a second compartment as Mei opened it up for her. Mina almost burst into tears again. Yep. He certainly had rubbed off on her, she thought.

"I had a couple spares lying around….it doesn't exactly match the theme of your costume. It might clash too much. But I thought you might appre-"

Mina hugged Mei before she could even finish. It was a piece of Izuku's costume. The part that he had designed all those years ago to resemble a smile. Mina had been so much more cheerful in those days. It had been part of her charm that had made Izuku flustered, but ultimately drew him into a decade of bliss. It was modeled after All-Might, perfected by Izuku, and now it was hers to make her own. In more ways than one, Mina had found her smile again, and for that, she was eternally grateful.

"A-Ashido. I appreciate… the… appreciation, but... you're… suffocating me." Mei weezed. Mina released her and grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry, it's just…. Thank you, Mei. It's perfect." The 10th wielder of One-for-All was incredibly honored and that couldn't have been more readily evident from her tone.

"I considered adding tubing to the wrist blasters leading up to a more reinforced version of this bad boy so you can smit acid with the flick of a switch, but that might take time." Mei smiled as she regained her ability to breathe.

"That sounds awesome. I think I'll pass for now. This costume is great as is. Thank you."

"No problem, Ashi. However, there is the matter of your bill." Mei ran a finger under her nose with pride for her work, then tapped her fingers against each other.

"Charge it to my apartment. Same with the soap." Mina backed away and made a break for it. Luckily there was an exit nearby.

"You…you said your place was in ruins." Mei raised an eyebrow.

"Sorry, can't talk. Hero duties." Mina gave her first full-fledged grin in a long time and rushed out the back door. "Call me later! Take Care!" And with that, Mina was gone. Mei shook her head and grinned.

"If you're out there, Midoriya, you're probably really damn proud right now."


	8. Not Like This

Mina had time to kill. There wasn't that much evidence left at the crime scene that would help. If they wanted anything truly substantial, the creature known as Minus would need to be apprehended. Who knew where it would turn up. In the meantime, Mina would wait for whatever pieces of info the forensics lab could piece together, and who knew how long that would take. However, Mina's hero duties entailed more than just one case, and she had a renewed figure, thinking back on that vivid dream. Mina stopped to lightly touch the locket hidden beneath her new costume, then leapt into action. There were bound to be people under siege. The NEXT gang had disbanded 7 years ago, so they weren't much of a worry. Mina had come a long way in 10 years. Of course, she had. She went to the best hero school, training with some of the best pros at the time. However, it was more than that. She had him by her side. Together, they could take on anything. They were so similar, yet so different, like two pieces of a friendship necklace, forming a heart shape when connected. She had developed her own rogue's gallery in that time, but that really didn't matter. It might have in her head when she was first starting out. However, when she got to know Izuku better and connect with him, all that melted away. She still dreamed of being a hero. She still fought for those who needed it. She would gladly face down a villain, no matter how terrifying, if it could help people, whether they be friends or strangers. To meet someone who would do the same, even when surrounded by so many of her peers with aspirations of being a pro hero, that exact drive wasn't as common as one would hope. Izuku was shy and awkward, and yet he was the embodiment to her of what heroes are. The more she got to know him, the deeper she fell for her plain looking boy with the freckled face and the quirk that broke his bones.

When she lost him, she grew even more, in profile and abilities. She had to though. The pressure was on her now. She constantly feared that she would break under it all, if One for All didn't do the job. Izuku was her center, and with him gone, she felt adrift. She had a duty and she threw herself into it. And yet, she felt like she was going through the motions. Now more than ever, though. She was gaining that spark back. She had hope. Whether or not it stayed with her or not remained to be seen. For the time being, however, she felt more driven than she had been in months. She had a genuine smile on her face. She wasn't forcing it. She wasn't using it to hide pain or fear. She felt it in her heart now. She had gained a second wind. She was ready to say with confidence "I am here." If the slightest, maddest possibility existed of him turning up and saying the same, then that would make it even better. She could live without him. Two months in, she was still standing. She was a good hero on her own. She had proven this and was ready to do her best. However, her life just seemed so lacking in color and meaning. It felt like having a piece of her lung removed. She felt weaker and shorter of breath. Having someone in your life for so long and losing them has that effect.

Mina stumbled across a forlorn teenager, perched alone on a school building. It was a lovely view, for certain. Mina had always appreciated views from higher up, whether it be climbing a tree or eating a picnic on a rooftop on a slow patrol day. However, the pink woman had a sneaking suspicion that that wasn't their reason for being so high up.

"Hiya. Mind if I have a seat here?"

"You're…."

"Alien Queen…. What's your name?"

"…. doesn't matter. I'm jumping soon anyway."

"Doesn't matter is a weird name. Why are you jumping though? Anything in particular?"

Mina sighed and looked at the youth.

"I lost the love of my life. I watched him die in my arms. It's been two months…."

"…"

"Sorry. Not trying to make it about me. But…even when life is dark and dismal…. there's still hope."

"What hope?"

"You tell me. Still, If I could offer you some hope. Here. In this moment in time, I would be happy to do so…. Lovely view by the way. I recognize this building."

"I really mean no disrespect, Alien Queen, but there is"

"…Mina."

The suicidal girl looked up in wide-eyes confusion at the reveal of the hero's secret Identity.

"My name is Mina. I won't give myself away entirely, but I figure the Pink skin and black eyes do that enough as is." She smiles softly.

"My point is that, sometimes, when life is bleak and empty, you need someone there to smile. To tell you it's alright. Not because it might be what you want to hear, but because it's what you need to hear. Small comforts go a long way. They might not seem it, but they keep us afloat" Mina looked down and took out her locket, stroking it fondly as she smiled.

"I…. What comfort? I…I was born quirkless… I…. I want to be a hero…I want to go to school with my friends…but…I don't even think I have those left…."

Mina's eyes widened. All this rang a bell and drudged up memories. It still hurt a little to think about Izuku, but now it felt more comforting. His memory gave her strength. And in turn, that strength kept his memory alive. What's more, if there was indeed victory over death, Mina was going to do what she did as a kid with a new video game: stay up if she could until she beat it. The pink woman sighed and smiled.

"I knew a boy. When I was younger. He was quirkless too. He wanted to be a hero. He was bullied relentlessly or just flat out ignored. He still tried though. He kept notes, he observed and studied. He wanted to be the one to smile and tell people that it would all be ok. He wanted someone like that for him as well. To hear that he could be a hero."

"I…I doubt he became one…."

"He became mine. I wouldn't be here without him"

"…Tora…. My name is Tora."

"Hm? Well, Tora. I have two ideas. I could escort you down right now, or we could sit a while and admire this view, since we're already up here. I didn't bring snacks, though."

The teenage girl let out a weak laugh at the comforting friendliness of the 10th holder of One for All. It was probably reckless of the pink woman to reveal herself to a civilian, but she could tell this girl needed a friend. She needed someone to tell her that it would be ok. Someone who knew all too well the pain and turmoil she must be going through

"I…I actually think I would like to go back down…. Thank you, Alie…. Thank you, Mina."

Mina smiled and pat the girl on the shoulders." No problem, Tora. Now hold on tight."

Mina grinned as the girl clung to her for dear life. They left off the building and landed on the ground below.

"Ground floor. Here you go." Mina le go of Tora. It was short lived though, as the girl soon latched herself onto Mina again, with Tears in her eyes.

"T-thank you. I…you …Thank you. Nobody has ever told me that they believed in me like that…. Still not sure how much you even mean it, but…. I really appreciate it." The young girl cried, her black hair sweeping her face as tears streamed down her cheek.

Mina knelt a little and gently took the girl's chin in her hand.

"I mean every word. I believe in you. Just like I believed in my friend." Mina smiled, the honesty and warmth just radiating off her as if she were a small sun. Once Tora smiled back, Mina got up and prepared to leave.

"By the way, Tora. If you ever need a friend, or advice, I am here." Mina looked directly at the girl she talked out of suicide. If she needed a counselor, Mina would be happy to help. If she needed a mentor, Mina was already considering it. Whatever it took to give this browbeaten child the hope and strength she needed.

With that, Mina leapt back into action for more crimes to stop, more leads on Minus, and possibly a good cup of coffee. Tora watched the hero known as Alien Queen disappear into the distance. She smiled as she thought to herself "My hero."

Mina had run all over the city, looking for leads on Minus, hoping to hear from the forensics lab, getting in touch with (and being yelled at) by her landlord), and rescuing people. At the end of the day, even symbols needed some sleep.

"Hey Uramaki?"

"Mina? I haven't heard from you in a while. Is everything alright?"

"Not entirely…but I'm getting there. Today has been pretty good so far."

"I'm glad things are going better. If there's anything I can help you with, let me know."

"Well…. Come to think of it, a villain kind of destroyed my apartment"

"The one who supposedly wrecked Izuku's grave and the ones next to it."

"Say no more, Mina. I would be happy to let you stay for a while. There's a guest room if you would like."

"Thank you. That means a lot. I'm…I'm sorry if I'm imposing."

Mina had dropped by her wrecked apartment again, for what seemed to be the quadrillionth time to get some clothes and toiletries. It was currently a crime scene, as a battle had occurred there, and a villain had gone rummaging through it. Still, Mina was a high-profile hero and she needed to get to her belongings and throw away any food that was in there, as to not become more of a health hazard. Once she had finished her business there and paused to look at what was once her home, she left to go to Ochako's. It took two hours until she had arrived. She knocked on the door and was greeted by a fit woman with short brown hair and rosy cheeks.

"Hi, Mina! Glad you could make it!" the gravity hero welcomed. Mina arrived in a short leopard-print shirt, yoga pants, black skate shoes, and a pair of sunglasses Izuku bought her at a vendor's hut near Dagobah beach. Her overnight bag neon green. It was a bit garish and clashed with her outfit, but she wasn't here for fashion week.

"Thanks for having me, Ochako. You are a life saver." Mina smiled thankfully.

"Well, we both are. It's our profession" the Brunette joked, eliciting an amused sigh from Mina.

"Leave the bad jokes to me, Sister." The acid woman laughed as the two of them walked inside and closed the door.

The two friends caught up a little, on heroics, on life in general, and how Mina must be feeling. As of late, Mina would have been less talkative. Being energetic and prone to conversation had been a huge part of who she was, as a hero and as a person. However, it felt like it had been removed from her body when Izuku died. However, she now seemed to be returning to her former, bombastic glory. Ochako was pleased to see her old friend more at peace. She knew Izuku would be proud as well, if he was watching her somewhere.

Mina tried to sleep that night. She had a renewed vigor, but even that had its limits. Unfortunately, those limits kept the hopeful heroine up rather than knocking her out. It had dawned oh her what the date was as she stared at a calendar depicting cats dressed as various science-Fiction icons.

Today was the 14th of July. It was the day before her birthday, and subsequently, his. Mina stared forlornly at the empty space next to her on the guest bed as she took out her phone. It would be midnight soon. Just 5 more minutes until she turned 26. 5 more minutes until she was reminded that he wouldn't be here to celebrate with her. This was a slap in the face. She felt like crying. Even if she had hope, she still felt empty. He was still gone, and she still missed him. She was determined to find a way, but that nagging in the back of her head told her it as foolish. Even in a world of quirks and advanced technology, the dead remained dead. He was lost to her. Was there really a way he could come bac to her? Mina was snapped out of her thoughts by a sound that grabbed her by the heart and shook hard.

It was the alarm tone she and Izuku had recorded together as a joint birthday reminder. She was so enthusiastic while he sounded so awkward. And yet, they were both happy. Mina wiped a tear from her eye and smiled as she gripped her locket. She opened it up and smiled at the photo within, tears running down her cheek as she smiled at it.

"Happy birthday, Izuku… I miss you…"

Out of the corner of her eye, something wiped the smile off her face. It was the creature she had fought before. The one that destroyed the monuments. It was Minus.

Had it followed her here? Was it looking for more pro-heroes? Uraraka and her certainly fit the bill, but this creature had made short work of several heroes. Two on their own probably wouldn't be able to do too much. I slowly dawned on Mina. The creature was looking for someone. She wasn't sure why, but it was looking for her. Mina quickly got dressed into her costume and left a note for Ochako on the kitchen table.

"Left something at the apartment. Gonna go get it. I'll be back later. Thanks."

Mina headed to her apartment posthaste, Minus already having left by the time she was done getting ready. There was an eerie familiarity, creeping down Mina's spine like some unseen spider. As Mina left the scene, Ochako stirred. The door had woken her up.

Mina decided to skip public transit and just use her quirk, going as fast as she could until she was at her old apartment. It took two hours, just about, but she arrived there. It was gloomy, the scene being like that of a ghost town. However, she could hear noises as she peered into the shadows. She was soon greeted by the monstrosity known as Minus, its unsettling green eyes haunting her as they swiveled about like those of some sort of undead chameleon. Was the creature undead? Mina wasn't quite sure what to call it other than "a noumu but not quite".

"What d you want, you creepy bastard!" She cried, her eyes burning holes through its very being as she glared. I want answers! I know you things aren't vocal! But come on!" What do you want!? WHAT DO YOU WANT!"

Mina had found hope, and yet now, she was still frightened and angry. She knew there was little chance of getting an answer, and yet that didn't matter now. Whether or not her opponent could provide them, answers are exactly what she wanted. Unfortunately, she did get a response, and it was one that swiftly cut through her, straight to the bone. The creature hissed and opened its grotesque mouth.

"…M….M…. iiiiii…nnnnaaaaa…"

Here eyes widened as her knees shook. She couldn't have heard it right. It knew her name. That had to have been a coincidence, but the way its eyes locked onto her, she was frozen solid. She knew those eyes. It came to her like a bolt of lightning. Somehow, this abomination of science and biotechnology was her fiancée. Mina felt the blood drain from her body as she struggled to stay on her feet.

She wanted him back. She had wanted to see him again, just hoping that there was a way to best death in some sort of wicked game. She had received what she wanted, but not in the way she had wanted.

She didn't want it like this.

"I…Izuku?"


	9. Homecoming

Mina felt time come to a stand still as everything shattered and fell to the floor. Her legs wouldn't cooperate. Nothing made sense, and yet it also clicked into place. Mina tried to choke out a few words, but the monkey's paw around her throat tightened around her larynx with the intention of crushing it. Her heart had been broken all over again and hope had been soiled. Mina had so many questions. Only one kept recurring. That question was "Why?"

Mina could barely move. Her muscles screamed at her. This was combat. She was up against a dangerous villain. She could figure out what was going on after. She had to stop this monster dead in his tracks. Or its tracks. Mina wasn't sure anymore. She hadn't previously considered the gender of Noumu, though minus was definitely of a different breed. And now she knew why that was, but not who did it and for what purpose. To kill her? To break her spirit? To paralyze her with hesitation and emotional trauma? So far, they seemed to be doing a good job of all three. Mina stood her ground, wiping the blood off her face.

"Izu…please…is that you? Please…no…"

The beast merely roared at her, staring back with familiar green eyes, twisted and perverted by some unknown force. Was it the league of villains? Some offshoot group/ How did they do this? When did they do this? Why did they do this? Her mind raced. This answered a few questions she had previously but raised so many more. Chief among them was why? Why him? Why her? Why couldn't she just be at peace? She was supposedly the new symbol of peace but she wasn't anywhere close to Izuku's level. And now, that peace she fought for eluded her even more. The hope she had found again had been corrupted. And the blood in her veins burned more than the acid she could produce. Tears streamed down her face as she screamed, rushing forward with her version of the Detroit Smash: the Andromeda Smash. She rushed, having found her footing. She was so overwhelmed with emotions, so she decided to channel them in this battle.

"Mina?" A familiar voice rang out, grabbing Mina's attention, which was all the time the beast needed to leap at her with a powerful kick that Mina barely dodged. What was Uraraka doing? This wasn't exactly a good time for her to come looking for her, mina thought. "Stupid, lousy, supportive friends who house you and look for you when you're missing." She hissed. Trying to add levity to a situation devoid of any. It was hard for her to joke. She was facing the reanimated corpse of her fiancée, in Noumu form. No. This was somehow different. Either way, she didn't want her friend getting hurt. This was her battle. Nobody else's. She appreciated help, but not here. Not now.

This was enough of a distraction for minus to take advantage of. It slammed Mina into the floor and tossed her aside, giving chase. This was one of the most horrific enemies she had faced. Regardless of if it was Izuku or not, which the heroine was still wrapping her brain around, this was not an average Noumu. She suspected it had a master nearby, probably that same chap-lipped, hand-faced bastard that took Izuku from her in the first place. There very likely was some programming. However, despite the creature's undead origins, it behaved less like a mindless zombie and more like a predator. It was toying with her. It hunted her down. It could strategize, at least from what little Mina could decipher. Combined with that and the psychological warfare it waged without uttering a word other than her name, this was somehow more terrifying than any Noumu Mina ever faced, and they had exposed brains. Because if Izuku really was in there, that was far more horrific than the USJ attack ever was.

Mina landed serendipitously in a heap at Uraraka's feet, as she achily pulled herself up. She saw the shock and concern in her brown-haired friend's eyes as they looked at each other. Mina grunted as she got up on one knee.

"Ochako…Stay…Stay back!" she groaned.

"Mina?"

"NOW!" the pink hero shouted, not worried about waking people anymore, given that the violent battle would likely have done that already. It got even louder as the sinister figure leaped out of the shadows of her ruined apartment and landed before the two, in an even more familiar pose. Even if this wasn't Izuku, it sure as hell was a twisted effigy of the man Mina loved and Ochako respected immensely.

Before Ochako could object, Mina pulled her out of the way and made a run for it. Ochako nearly fell over as she was dragged. Showing surprising control for a monster, Minus stopped on a dime and gave chase, leaping over the two women and landing with a thud.

"I can't let you fight alone." Ochako insisted.

She knew Mina was a hero, one of the best. She knew she was accomplished and now held the mantle Izuku once held, albeit reluctantly. But not even a team could handle this guy, let alone one person, especially when she didn't have full control of her power. It was surprising how careful Mina was with it. She was always sort of impulsive and carefree, and yet now, she was far more guarded, as if she was trying to be Izuku in the hopes of bringing him back. Ochako knew what a dark path that obsession could be, though she could only empathize so far. Only Mina herself knew how she truly felt. Only one other person came close. Little did the gravity hero know, he was right in front of them.

"Sure, you can. Besides, I don't want that thing wrecking your car. You just bought that thing."

"That's what you're worried about, Mina? You really are Deku's girlfriend." The brunette shook her head, smiling despite the situation they were in and the absence both women felt in their lives. They had each other, at least, though that probably wouldn't last much longer.

Mina hissed out orders. "We can reminisce later. Stance!" They could catch up again when their lives weren't on the line.

The two heroines squared off against what was once Izuku Midoriya, now a puppet without strings. Mina stood her ground with Ochako on her right, for support. The two got into position for a move they came up with in UA. Ochako questioned when it would ever be necessary. She certainly wasn't questioning it now. However, it proved futile, as the creature, still fought back, despite recoiling in pain.

Its skin burned, yet it slowly recovered. It appeared to have regenerative capabilities. Though it remained unknown if there was a limit to those capabilities, much like the Shock absorption Noumu from USJ all those years ago. All Might had managed to send it flying, though Mina would later find out from Izuku that his power had diminished. Mina herself didn't have much control of One for All. Only a few months at most. She was used to controlling her own quirk, for certain. She had acid since birth. A secondary quirk on top of that? It was more than she was used to and she was surprised she didn't break her bones more often, like Izuku did when she first met him.

And now, here they were. A substitute Symbol and a reanimated puppet, clashing for survival when they had previously planned on spending their lives together, not just as heroes, but as husband and wife. She was happy. Things could get hairy in their line of work, but they always came out on top in the end.

Minus lunged, aiming for Mina, but swerving at the last minute as she braced for impact. A strong punch to the ground released a shockwave that separated both women from each other and knocked them off their feet. Seizing an opportunity, the beast leapt into the air after Uraraka, who tried sending rubble at her foe. Undaunted by this desperate ploy, Minus delivered a savage knee drop to Ochako, slamming her into the ground with a pained scream.

"URARAKA!" Mina responded in a panic, sliding to her friend's aid, only to get backhanded. It felt odd though. After being sent across the yard, Mina knew why. She wasn't just hit by a hand. She was smacked by her now unconscious friend, battered and bruised. Mina panicked. She checked her friend's pulse and breathing. Luckily, they were fine, but she needed to get out of here. She needed help. Unfortunately, what was also needed was a diversion. Someone to hold off this aberration. Once again, Mina was on her own. Mina grabbed Ochako quickly after recovering as fast as she could. She fired tactical bursts of acid to keep the creature off her while she took Ochako to her car, which was somehow mostly unscathed, save for some dust and scratches on its sky blue paint job. That was one miracle Mina was happy for. She fumbled through her unconscious friend's pockets for her keys and opened the locks, carefully depositing the hero known as Uravity in the backseat. Once her friend was situated, Mina made a quick call.

"Hello, this is Alien Queen. I have a situation and I need someone to take my friend to the hospital. She's out cold." Mina called frantically into the line as soon as someone responded. Time was running out. They were under attack, so she had to cultivate a sense of urgency.

Mina was asked if she needed backup. She hesitated, thinking that working as a team might be more beneficial. She had a lot of friends who could help. And if this thing was once the best of them, she needed all the help she could get. However.

"No thank you. I must settle this on my own. Your help in tending to Uravity will be enough." She hung up and ran away from the car. She couldn't waste any more time. Minus was about to land on the car and Mina had to counter. With a 10% Full Cowl leap, she kicked the monster out of the way and landed on its chest, getting bucked off almost immediately. If this hadn't been a life or death struggle, it would be a god reminder of the playful shenanigans Mina and Izuku got up to at home. It hurt just to imagine them, especially if he was in there. However, if he could fight through the pain, she sure as hell could.

Mina decided on a different strategy. Her Izuku was still in there somehow. She still had so many unanswered questions, but she only cared about answering one of them right now: Was there still hope. She was determined for the answer to be yes.

"Izu?" she muttered, loud enough to grab the monster's attention, but soft enough to reason with it.

The beast stopped, albeit reluctantly, as if it was at war with its own movements. It was clearly listening, but slowly approaches, as if compelled by programming. The creature lumbered closer, stopping every few steps. Its pupils shrunk as it went into attack mode, Mina bracing herself to intercept. She was in over her head, but she refused to drown. Not anymore. Here he was, in front of her. She wasn't expecting such a nightmarish scenario, but she refused to fall prey to it. Not anymore.

"Izuku…please...please still be in there. I won't give up." Mina continued. She was terrified and battered, but she had been both of those before. This was traumatic, to say the least. Losing someone and having them trotted out as somebody's toy. Whoever did this would face a reckoning. That was at the very back of Mina's mind though. She had to be brave and she had to be careful. She was evasive, but still hesitant to attack just yet. She tried her hardest to reason with it, with him. The only thing that greeted her words were roars and attacks. Mina was pinballed around by her mutated late-fiancée., fighting in vain for several minutes before she managed to melt a finger. She sighed. She would keep trying to reach out, but she could see, that she had to go all out. Even the acid rain attack was half-hearted. She couldn't do that one anymore. Not with her partner knocked out.

From the shadows, two figures watched. They now had perfect seats to the show, everything they had orchestrated unfolding before them. The current symbol of peace being killed by the hand of her revived lover and direct predecessor was not only a poetic end, it was also highly satisfying on several levels. To have been responsible for your greatest enemy's death? Check. Using an experimental quirk to revive him as a pawn? Check. Having him kill the woman he loved? Check and check. Ending that infernal legacy of All Might's? That would be even sweeter.

"I'm glad the boys in the lab whipped up our puppet. It took months, but to have something with the power of a Noumu but the mind of an apex predator…it's just too good, Kurogiri. I don't even feel like revealing ourselves. This is a show I want to take my time watching."

X

Mina looked out of the corner of her eye, she could swear she saw two figures sitting on a nearby rooftop, but it was hard to make out and she quickly returned her attention to the threat ahead. This monster was somehow created from her dead fiancée. How, she wasn't sure. Why? She had a few guesses. None of that mattered in this moment. Survival was key right now. She was facing an enemy on equal footing with herself, possibly even greater. However, Mina had something to fight for. She had her friends. She had her family. She had the citizens. And more than that, she had something she thought she had abandoned. She had hope.

Mina skidded on her feet, sliding out of the way with all the grace she had as she aimed her acid with her wrist blasters, keeping a distance before getting up close again. A combination of ranged and melee attacks was a solid strategy. That's what Izuku probably would have said. Being with the guy for a decade really had an influence on Mina, and not just because she had his quirk now. His quirk. Mina had to chuckle mentally at that statement. For a while, he didn't feel like it was his, despite inheriting it and using it. He didn't feel worthy. And yet, time and time again, while he had failed on many occasions, he had proven that he was more than worthy of the power he held. A gift from his idol. His mentor. His father-figure. And now, Mina was wielding it, feeling just as inadequate. If she survived this, she would have to find a better wielder. Maybe she could give it back to Izuku if he comes back. In this case, she imagined what he would say. She had decided that he would tell her something like what he told Todoroki in their first year, at the Sports Festival. "This is your power, Mina."

She steeled herself, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. She knew how stupid that was. She knew it went against her training, and yet, she did so anyway. She prepared herself like she was ready to dance, her opponent as her partner. This morbid cosmic humor of this situation was not lost on Mina as her eyes shot open. She leaned backwards as she dodged a punch from Minus. She hadn't done much to the monstrosity. She couldn't break through with her words. Not very effectively. It pained her, but she had to fight.

She was sent careening into a nearby building by a stray kick, launched like a football across the lot. She recovered mostly, but it hit her like a freight train. She wiped the spit and blood off her mouth and got back into form. This would go differently than last time. She was caught off guard then, and several times tonight, but she was already getting used to her opponent's movements. Given the situation, that was the easiest thing to deal with in this fight. However, just because she knew the move set, didn't mean this would be an easy boss fight.

She was off like a shot, same as Minus. She was like a speed skater in the Olympics, swift and focused, a determined gracefulness evident in her movements as she zigzagged towards her opponent. She was knocked down almost instantly.

"T-that easy to read, am I? Try this then." She smirked, trying to hold back the shakiness she felt within. She missed Izuku. Sorely. Dearly. There were times she had even hoped that something would happen to her and she could be reunited with him. She was tired and she wanted him back. But she was reminded again of why she held this power. She was reminded of why she was chosen. She was reminded of all the things worth fighting for again. What's more, she had an impossible dream dangling before her, and she was ready to live up to it all: her school's motto, her full potential, and the legacy she was now part of. Thinks may have gone south, but she was able to jump much higher now.

She started breakdancing fiercely. This wasn't a distraction tactic or a joke. This was a tactical move. This was a hobby, a passion, and a method of spreading goo from her feet. If she couldn't evade him that easily, she would make it harder for him to move without being at a disadvantage. Stockpiled power, stockpiled stratagems. Mina went to the top hero school. She ended up in a loving relationship with the top hero. She was friends with the best of the best. She herself was among them. She was beyond ready to show what she had in that decade and take this beast to school herself.

"Hey big guy, you look angry. Try smiling. I got a great quote you might love if you're who I think you are.

GO BEYOND! PLUS ULTRA!"

She summoned the strongest acid she could muster and released it in the hugest possible wave she could summon. If this foe was tough, there had to be a soft spot beneath that armor. A way to end its terror. There had to be a way to get to Izuku. And if he was lost to her truly, she would mourn all over again. She would very likely fall into depression again. But she couldn't give in, even when faced with darkness. She was a symbol, a pillar, an inspiration, and a hero. More than that, she was Mina Ashido.

While the acid melted away at the shrieking monstrosity, she wasted n time, leaping forward, her body sparking with electricity as her body went to work. She remembered every dance move, every backspin and split kick, unleashing an elegant and animated assault.

She kept up the assault, looking to keep melting and smashing until he relented. She really didn't want to destroy the creature, if it truly was Izuku, but she would subdue it no matter what, bring it back to a lab. If she could bring him back somehow, she would do so. She would find a way and go beyond. Even if it was a ludicrous idea, it was a ludicrous world. Things she thought impossible when she was younger had revealed themselves to her. Izuku returning to her would just be one of those she had hoped. She didn't have as much control as her predecessors. She hadn't been in the role nearly long enough and the inherited quirk stockpiled power, so she had more work ahead if she survived this, if she even wanted to keep this damn quirk. It was cool and had its perks. She had come up with new moves and ideas for more, but she wanted things to go back to how they used to be more than she wanted to fill Izuku's shoes.

She sprang back into an upright position again and delivered a devastating uppercut with her Andromeda Smash.

"Izuku…. Not sure if this is how it works, as I've never faced stuff like this before…I can't do this alone. Please come back." She whispered under her breath as she pressed on, not allowing another opening. All these motions were hers. Not All Might's or Deku's. They were 100% Alien Queen. Sure, she borrowed some and put her own spin on things, just like Izuku did when she taught him breakdancing, but he would leave her mark on One for All and on this lab-borne monstrosity wearing her love's skin. Not that she knew that. How could she? There were no robots or read-outs or exposition spouting robots. She still hadn't heard from the crime lab. She didn't expect to. At least not so soon. All she had were hunches and punches. Izuku used to tell her that line a lot. He thought it was funnier than it really was. Mina choked back tears and readied herself once more. She would end this and, somehow, twist fate in her hands. She wasn't sure how, but she would have Izuku back, even if she had to dig for him.

However, her moves weren't the only ones memorized. As if my instinct or some muscle memory left lingering within the abominable meat puppet that was once the hero, Deku, lingering flames burned themselves out slowly. One second was all the creature needed to grab Mina's leg and ragdoll her across the parking lot. Luckily for her, she was able to recover. Less lucky for her was her opponent's resilience. She was chipping away at the limits of its abilities, but she hadn't finished this fight yet.

Mina wiped blood from her mouth and held back the tears she wanted to cry. She could weep later, one way or another. She still had a job to do, and she would not lay down until it was done. She kept her opponent away from Ochako's car. Not wanting the Gravity hero to have to deal with the inconvenience, or for her life to be threatened further. She would live, but she needed a visit to a hospital. Unfortunately, the only one who could help was Mina herself. There weren't any other heroes around to the dark eyed woman's knowledge. Suddenly, an explosion rang out and grabbed Mina's attention.

X

The two villains on the rooftop watched with full attention at the fight below. Kurogiri seemed slightly uneasy, but Shigaraki refused to move, watching with a grin beneath his trademark mask. Alien Queen might have been unleashing an all-out assault, but the master villain was not worried. He had put a lot of work and resources into this project and he was sure any sign of victory on the pink heroine's end would be washed away in a large wave of power and despair, leaving her battered and bloodied like her predecessor, with whom she was now locked in mortal combat.

"Sir, this would be safer to observe from the bunker. He may be giving pursuit still. He is a formidable opponent and a top hero. We had tried recruiting him for a reason all those years ago."

"Calm down, Kurogiri. There were a few reasons we tried recruiting him. It all failed in the end. Regardless, we can make a hasty escape if we must. Plus, we have our little science experiment. Reviving a corpse is tricky, but I always found creating and disposing of them far easier." The man sighed in bemusement as he scratched at his neck.

Their conversation was interrupted by a nearby explosion and a rough, cocky voice.

"Hey there, boys. The fuck you watchin'? Mind if I join?" the man said with a bloodthirsty grin, as smaller explosions went off in his palms. It was Katsuki Bakugou, and he had finally caught up.

"I have some questions for you assholes."


	10. Dry Your Tears

If Mina didn't know any better, se could have swore she had heard shouting and explosions. She had a feeling she knew who it was. That only raised more questions. Where had he gone before. Why was he here now? However, there were more pressing matters. Mina could feel her skin burn and her bones creak. Electricity sparked off her body as blood, sweat and acid mixed and dripped, hitting the floor with a small sizzle. She was winded. However, she couldn't help but smirk.

"I never could quit with you, could I? I always wanted another round, always wanted more…even when my legs were shaky, and my breath was haggard…. guess you really are back..." She emitted a low, pained laugh as she took a fighting stance once more, furrowing her brow as sweat dripped off it.

"M…iii….nn…AAAAAAAAAUGH" the beast bellowed, sending shivers down her spine. Nevertheless, she resisted. It was still jarring. Hearing a noumu speak. Hearing it call her name. Hearing it call her name in a distorted version of her dead lover's voice as electricity sparked off its body. It was like watching a defective animatronic lunge forward, but far more terrifying and lethal. The movements were more fluid, yet still janky and corpselike. They lacked the elegance of his movement. He had ten years to refine his technique and this is what it was reduced to. That was only one of the things that angered Mina about all this. Her boyfriend had been taken from her. He was laid to rest, only to be taken from her. She wasn't sure how this happened. Was he replaced in the morgue? Were there crooked cops working with the league? Was he dug up and then replaced? What had happened? What had they done to her Izuku. The sparks intensified, and her acid burned at its highest intensity, her leg filled with kinetic energy. She wound up and was off like a shot. She feinted with a quick before finding her opening and taking it. This may have been a "thinking" noumu. It may have had to jump on her before. She may have had no more than dumb luck on her side. Or maybe she had him. Like she had for so long. Whether he was trapped in this beast or part of her or looking down from heaven or none of the above, she felt it her heart that he was on her side, at least in some way shape or form. She was grateful for that, but not satisfied.

Her acid splashed across Minus' torso as she delivered a 100% elbow smash to its jaw, flipping into a head spin and utilizing her breakdancing what's more. It might have seemed ridiculous to describe, but it was part of who she was. She was a dancer and a hero. They were so intertwined with one another and so integral to her identity that what was normally just a fun hobby now turned her into a vengeful and determined top, filled with pain and adrenaline. Hers was a rhythm of righteousness and retribution, of heartbreak and hope. The conflict brewing internally fueled her and pushed her past her limits. She would dig him out of his grave and pull him back towards her, so she would never be able to let go of him again. She didn't know if she really believed in an afterlife, but she knew there was a heaven, and she would reclaim it.

Her arm was shaking with pain as it fell limp. However, shattered elbow or not, she wasn't done with it yet. She would send herself through hell and back to get her angel back. After several 8% kicks, increasing consecutively to 20%, she kicked off minus' torso and delivered an uppercut with her broken arm, summing as much acid as she could with it, at its highest intensity. She gritted her teeth and hissed with pain, trying not to scream. Not just yet. "Not til the climax" she joked morosely. She needed to tease him. She needed to remind herself of normalcy, or as normal as their lives could ever have been. She clung to hope until her nails bled and she would hold on for dear life, even if it killed her.

"I know you can regenerate. Let's see if we can find your limitation, big boy. I have four major limbs and I can probably use them three times each. I just hope RG doesn't hate my guts for this. And, that twelve is enough to stop your regeneration capabilities. I saw that in a show once. Besides, I'm no All Might, and sure as hell no Deku. But I AM THE ALIEN QUEEN! AND YOU WILL BOW!"

She rocketed into the air and delivered a Ridley Shot to the head again, deeming that the center of it all. She wasn't sure if it was anime or sci fi or past villain battles that guided this decision, or some past lesson she had forgot about that was coming back at the most convenient moment. Perhaps a mix of several or all options. Either way, shot three or four was greeted by a jarring yet somehow welcome crack of the neck. She knew that wouldn't do it, but she was getting there. She would punch that wall of diamond and go beyond. Once she was there, she would get him back. She was Mina Ashido. She was a symbol of hope and peace and the will to grab onto both. She would beat this villain, and then she would beat death itself.

Her arm flapped limply against her side as Mina leapt at Minus and dodged its violent attacks to the best of her abilities, launching at it and preparing to jump on its face with a stomp. She had gotten cocky, however. This wasn't just a regular Noumu. It saw through her strategy and bodied her, sending her rag dolling across the yard as she tumbled to a stop near a streetlight. It leapt towards her, looking to do to her what she had tried to do to it.

Groaning and grunting in pain, Mina rolled out of the way and prepared to strike at her foe. Once again, she was parried. She sidestepped again and slid around using her quirk, the one with which she was born. The power she could confidently claim was hers. She up behind minus and snapped her fingers with 100% power, generating a shockwave. She had hoped it would be enough to knock Minus off its game. Instead, it grabbed her by her bad arm and squeezed. She cried out in agony, screaming as the blood trickled down her damaged arm. In that moment, through the pain, Mina had seriously considered using her acid to discard the useless appendage, but she doubted Hatsume would be that eager to craft her an artificial one. Besides, the possibility of her being eager to do so was far more terrifying. She decided against it the moment she was tossed into the sky and spiked like a volleyball before she could decide.

Her body felt like it was burning alive. She spat out a wad of blood and…. yep. She lost a tooth. That was incredibly worrisome. So much for "facing villains with a smile" she joked to herself through the ringing in her head. It lunged again. She could have dodged but she decided on a different, more risky strategy. Closing her eyes, she listened to the frantic beating of her own heart and flicked a finger at the creature to knock it off its guard midair. She pumped her fist when it worked and launched herself into the air with full cowl so that she could deliver a strong jump kick to her foe, sending it rocketing like a giant, muscular soccer ball. She gave chase as much as she could with one good leg. She had been on the ropes and the fight was far from over, but she was learning. She knew at this point she couldn't fight like Izuku, nor could she rely entirely on her old style. Both had to be married and refined. She was a new symbol and she would stamp herself firmly on her opponent. She thought for a second. She could pursue the enemy. Get him far away from Uraraka's car. However, she had no doubt she would need an ambulance too after this. Furthermore, she preferred not to damage any more of the area in her fight, so even if she lost an opening, she would let her enemy come to her.

She expected a violent stampede. The sounds of shattering class and crashing cars. Instead, there was silence. There were several temptations she was facing. She was tempted to declare victory. She was similarly tempted to investigate. However, she remained where she was and listened, keeping her senses open for any sign of Minus. A low, distant rumbling sound could be heard, but she couldn't place it until it was too late. Minus busted through the asphalt, shooting out of the sewer and grabbing Mina, pulling her into a suplex and throwing her to the ground. Mina gasped and panted as the pain shot through her body. She tried rolling out of the way, but her broken leg was caught in Minuses attack. She screamed out in pain until her blood curdled and her voice went hoarse. In reaction, she hit her enemy with a 100% elbow shot, freeing her leg. She could barely stand, but she hissed through the pain as she staggered to her feet, giving a savage hook, followed up by a claw strike, straight to the face, secreting her strongest acid again. Mina was shaking with pain and rage and heartache. However, she remained determined, even if that was running thin now. She had hoped it would speak to her again. Say her name. That he would speak out and offer a way to free her. However, she had no doubt that would have hurt just as much. What was truly painful was the truth that she would probably have to put him down for god. He would haunt her like a ghost if he wasn't exorcised. And who knew what damage he could do. What was to keep him from hurting other heroes again, or civilians. It wasn't what Izuku would have stood for and she couldn't stand for it either. She quaked as the tears flowed, another series of droplets staining the pavement like wicked rain. The silence hurt. The injuries hurt. The loss hurt. The realization of what she had to do, it all just stung. "I fought too hard to lay down…please…give me a sign … Talk to me…"

The beast was silent. It wasn't a mindless silence, though Minus wasn't anywhere near as smart as Izuku in his prime. Nevertheless, this silence goaded Mina. It mocked her. It was almost as if it was challenging her. Mina knew she had to remain calm. However, she also knew she had to finish this before she became utterly useless and joined her fiancée in the darkness. It would be no reunion, only darkness. She refused to accept it.

"GIVE HIM BACK, DAMN YOU!"

"The beast roared then ran at Mina. She braced herself for impact but was shocked when it went for Ochako's car.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" she screamed once more leaping into the air, trying to steady herself. She was desperate for her boyfriend back, but she would not let any harm befall her friends or the people she had sworn to protect. Not anymore. For Izuku, for the citizens, and for her friends, she would stop this beast once and for all. It was no longer Izuku. It was just a monster wearing his flesh. That was a knife straight to her heart, but if he could break through the pain and his own limitations, she sure as hell could. She had no idea how she was doing this, but it didn't matter. What mattered to her was finishing this. She delivered a devastating kick to its torso as she coated her leg in acid, eating away her costume. "1000% RIDLEY SHOT!"

The hero known as Alien Queen, formerly the sidekick Pinky, had fought valiantly. A final screech of agony as she put her entire body into one last strike against the zombified predator that was once the cadaver of her beloved boyfriend. She could feel bones crack and flesh ripple on both ends., acid bubbled and sizzled as she let out a pained warrior's cry, shooting Minus into a wall, toppling a condemned building on top of it. She knew it wasn't the end, but she was determined to close the book and finish this chapter once and for all. If she couldn't bring Izuku back, she could at least bring him rest. He fought so hard for peace, it was the least he deserved in return.

Mina fell to the ground broken and battered. She was panting heavily. She wasn't sure who did more damage to her: Minus or herself. She wasn't even sure she had succeeded. She thought she had, but she wasn't exactly experienced at killing. It wasn't very heroic after all. Did killing your dead boyfriend count? It sure felt like it did. She could already feel the tears coming. So many emotions were overwhelming her as the agony claimed her body. She wasn't sure if this was the end or not. It didn't quite feel that way, but she wasn't sure. She was broken physically and emotionally. She had to end things. She was forced to kill Minus. It was a life or death struggle, but she was a hero. There was always a better way. She felt what she did was against the law and her code. Even with her back against the wall, she felt there should have been a better way. One that didn't involve her losing him all over again.

"M-maybe I can bum a ride with Ochako to the hospital" she let a hoarse, pained laugh out

"AAAAH! FUCK! W-what happened?" Mina's eyes widened almost as soon as they closed. That voice was unmistakable.

She pushed through the pain, sparks shooting off her broken body as the adrenaline kicked in, she turned her head towards Minus' corpse. There, in the middle, naked and covered in fluid like a newborn, was the man she had loved, the man she had lost, and the man she had found again. She could hardly believe it and it hurt to laugh, but the tears poured as the laugher came. She was so happy. It took a while to register, but she was off like a rocket despite herself. He was really here. No trickery or experimentation. He was well and truly back. Izuku had returned to her once more.

The former symbol of peace was aching as he crawled out of the rubble. He felt like he had been hit by several trucks, pinballing off each into the next. He had been through worse though. Or perhaps he hadn't. He clearly remembered dying in his girlfriend's arms after kissing her. Everything was fuzzy after that. Just darkness with slight pulses of light for what seemed like an eternity. After that, he saw a bright light and he was back, reborn, good as new. He had no idea how or why, but he could figure out the answers to those questions later, he supposed. He shook his head as he looked tried to rid himself of his migraine. His whole body was burning and aching. He counted himself lucky that the pain wasn't worse.

He had spoken too soon as he turned his head and was speared, by a broken, bloodied, blur of pink, sending him to the ground coughing and aching. Before he had a chance to catch his breath, it was stolen from him as Mina kissed him deeply, tears in her eyes.

"Ow! M-Mina…I"

"Shut up…please…just…sorry…I just…"

"I…It's fine…" He was in more pain than he was before, having been tackled at full speed, but it was a pain he could deal with. She looked like she had a far worse time right now. He argued in his head that he technically had it worse, having actually died. However, he could tell right now, in this moment that she had been through a lot in just a few short months. He held her close and wiped her tears. He uttered words that had inspired him and given him hope so many times over the years. In this moment, they seemed the most appropriate words he could say.

"Everything will be alright, Mina…. Everything will be fine…I am here."

X

Police and Paramedics showed up at the scene to find an unconscious Uravity in backseat of her car, Alien Queen broken and bloodied in the arms of a naked man, and two key members of the league of villains apprehended with power dampeners and cuffs, as well as a folder filled with lab files and a note that said, "Tell Queen she's fucking welcome!" The ambulance had taken Uraraka and Mina to the hospital, Izuku choosing to ride back with them. It took emergency officials several double-takes to realize who it was, but they remained silent for the time being.

When he got there, he was asked to stay a few days and be tested. They didn't want to separate him from the love of his life, but it wasn't often a man came back from the dead and they had to be certain. The implications were staggering, as was the concern that this might lead to a cult situation. Deku had grown into the number one hero in the world and his death had sent shockwaves. Coming back from the dead would elevate him to god status, which was worrisome to the police, his fellow heroes, and most of all, Izuku himself. He may have grown accustomed to the limelight, whilst never losing his humility. This, however, would not sit well by him, especially if it got in the way of his duties as a hero and as Mina's future husband.

Speaking of his hero duties, things weighed heavily on his mind as he sat on the porch of their new apartment. They had moved in a week and a half after the incident. Izuku had obtained everything of theirs that wasn't damaged and tried in vain to get a piece of the minus creature to keep as a souvenir. It's not often that once comes back from dying and he thought it would be good to keep. Alas, it was buried under rubble and belonged to the police as evidence. T

Two weeks later, the reunited couple was married in a small but intimate ceremony, cheered on by their closest friends and family, those who could make it anyway. Hatsume caught the bouquet, but ultimately gave it to Ochako, claiming that she was already married to her work. She instead passed the flowers over to Uraraka, who smiled and blushed, hoping her fairytale would come too. Mina had always dreamed of a big reception, with lots of food, dancing, and retro music and décor. However, despite the big event and the extraordinary circumstances surrounding it, things were lower key. She didn't need the flashiness and the flair. She had all she needed in that moment. As she held her new husband close, she smiled. Hope had persevered after all and she was happy for the first time in what felt like an eternity, despite only being a few months.

After a fun-filled honeymoon cruise, where they made the most out of life and made love several times in celebration of it, they returned home, with a photo album, sunburn, and enough memories to fill a lifetime. They bought a studio apartment in Kamino, moving all their stuff there, or what was left of it. Mina stared out the window, having come to a decision about where she wished to go from here after reflecting on her life so far.

"Are you sure you don't want to keep One for All? From what I hear, you are getting a good handle on it." Izuku smiled.

"No thank you. This is your power. Not mine. And don't go saying how you felt that way at first too. You earned it."

"I wouldn't have just given it to you if I didn't think you were worthy." He smiled.

"You were dying. Who else would you have given it too?" Mina didn't want to sound ungrateful. She had to admit there was a par that would miss one-for-all. But it wasn't hers. The role of a pillar was not hers. She just wanted to be herself.

"I mean…yeah...That too…It almost felt like a really deep nap. I…I got flashes now and then, like distant dreams. You and me in a darkened room. Destruction from my point of view. I could only glean parts of it. It was all so fleeting and"

Suddenly, Mina kissed Izuku deeply. She gave no warning and nothing he really said triggered it. Just the nature of his very existence was all she needed now. She had dreamed of doing so once more for so long. And now, here he was in her arms once more. She would never let him get away again. If death ever came for him again, it would have to take her too. It was for that reason she kissed him. However, another reason came into play as well.

"I don't need it anymore. You can have it back." She grinned.

"T-that's not fair." The returned symbol of peace blushed and frowned heavily, feeling his heart race and his skin tingle. He felt like sparks were flowing through his body and he couldn't tell if that was the kiss or his quirk returning to him.

"Mina…I loved this quirk. Until you, it was the greatest thing to ever happen to me…in fact, if it weren't' for All Might and inheriting his quirk, I doubt I would have met you…it enabled me to meet new friends…the love of my life…and help people…It was all I ever wanted…I had a good run…but….I need some time to think on things." He looked at her thoughtfully while stroking her cheek as lilac crept across it.

"Not sure, what you need to think about, dude, but ok.

After a week or two, Izuku had decided.

"Giving it up again already?"

"I…. I had time to think. It almost feels like cheating…. being the 9th and 11th holder of One-for-All…. I feel like somebody else should get the chance…. we just need someone else. We will have to train them."

"Wait…we?"

"You held it too. Even if only for a few months. You are as legitimate a holder of One-for-All as I am. I was watching some footage of your time as my replacement…your form was off a bit….and you seemed to be trying too hard to be me at first, but you had some cool and unique moves in there that seemed like a blend of our techniques, plus some original stuff in there too. You really left your mark."

"Izu…no…I can't…Being a hero is your dream…your life…" Mina gazed at him, upset and confused, but doing her best to be understanding.

"You are both those things to me now, Mina. You always will be." The green-haired man smiled warmly and held his wife's hand. "Besides, I can still be a hero in a way…" Izuku handed Mina some forms.

Mina looked through the forms with a quiet astonishment. It wasn't the first thing she had thought of, but she supposed it made sense. "You're applying to the police academy?"

Izuku nodded. "I worry I'll be a bit older then some of the recruits, as I am in my mid-twenties, but All Might once described policework as being truly heroic and that they do just as much good as those of us with flashy costumes. I think I can do some good out there, with or without a quirk. As a former hero with years of notes, I…I might not be great at first, but I think I can manage."

Mina hugged him, gripping him tightly. She was sad that he would give his quirk up again, but at least it would be on his terms. She trusted his judgement and would support him no matter what.

"Hey Izu?" she asked softly.

"Yes?"

"Is there an afterlife? You probably got asked that all the time when people were grilling you about coming back and what not."

Izuku looked solemnly at her. "Not really. I guess the closest would be my flashes of memory where I talk to you through One for All, but it was mostly just darkness with slight blips of light. Tiny fleeting moments where I could see things but not have time to comprehend. If that makes sense."

Mina sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. "No heaven then?" she cocked her head to the side.

The green-haired hero held up his ring finger and grinned. "I wouldn't say that."

X

With Izuku as the symbol of peace once more, Mina decided to let her experiences inform her hero career as well. They had decided to go to a nearby recreational area to get some fresh air and just enjoy life without villain battles for a moment.

"Hero of Hope, Alien Queen!" she gestured dramatically as her husband chuckled.

"We…can workshop that." He teased. She pouted in response and playfully shoved him.

As they walked through the park, they noticed some ruckus. It was a scene familiar to both heroes, as far back as their childhoods. A young girl with rainbow streaked hair was in the fetal position as another, taller girl spread her arms and legs out and took a stance to protect her.

"Back off, you goons! Leave Masara alone! She did nothing wrong, ok? Just because her quirk isn't flashy, doesn't mean you can pick on her."

"Ooooo. What is paper Tiger gonna do? You're a quirkless piece of trash. Quit trying to play hero. That's all it will ever be."

"Yeah, you're too old to be playing pret- "

Before the second bully could finish her sentence, the quirkless girl retaliated.

"Don't you assholes have anything better to do? If you're looking to get into a hero school, it'll be a pretty sorry one to accept a bully like you."

The girl went down easily, a strong gut punch causing her to double over in pain. She coughed as she fell to her knees, glaring up at the antagonizing classmates as she guarded her frightened friend.

"Like a quirkless loser like you would know." The leader of the group, a tough looking girl of muscular build with vampire fangs and her blonde hair styled into pigtails resembling bat wings. She was flanked by her two friends. One was a taller girl with long, curly black hair draped around her neck like a scarf. It seemed to be moving on its own, slithering like a series of dark tendrils. The third was a short girl with long fingernails that hooked like claws, a shock of short silver hair, and a bemused smile on her face

"I can too become a hero! Alien Queen said I could!" Tora gritted her teeth defiantly, receiving condescending laughter in response.

"Well, well. Paper Tiger is a delusional fangirl. Go figure. Do you have any proof of this? I really don't want to believe the current number one hero is braindead idiot. Maybe she just took pity on you., like a kitten stuck in a tree. You probably should have jumped anyway so she could see if you land on your feet." The lead girl sneered.

"Or maybe she would have eight lives left. One of those has to have a quirk, right Anzu?" the clawed girl smirked. She glared at her dark-haired friend, who she thought had called her a brown-noser. The ravenette, merely flicked her tresses coyly.

"Don't be fucking stupid, Tanuki. She would just be a stain. In fact, I think I see one on the ground now…"

Anzu suddenly grabbed Tora's hair and slammed her face into the pavement, giving her a bloody nose, causing the powerless girl to grunt in pain as her friend looked up in fear and concern. Crying out for the other girs to cease and desist.

Mina and Izuku watched this unfold from the distance and walked briskly to stop it. They ran, hand in hand to shoo off the teenage hoodlums and separate them from their victims.

"That's enough, you three. Do you expect to get into a hero school acting like that?" Izuku sternly warned. Mina stared daggers at the trio of miscreants, further punctuating Izuku's point. Recognizing the two adults as off duty pros, the three girls cursed and ran off.

"You're lucky now, paper tiger. Next time, we'll rip your useless ass to shreds!" Anzu shouted back, vitriol dripping off of her voice.

"I bet your parents will be so proud!" Mina shouted back, before turning her attention to the bleeding girl, offering her a handkerchief.

Mina's eyes widened as she realized who it was: The girl she had talked out of suicide the day before her climactic battle against minus, when Izuku had returned to her as if everything had been but a bad dream that they had both woken up from. The bullies fled, leaving Tora to spit at the ground and wipe blood from her mouth and nose.

"Tora?" the pro hero asked as she walked over to the injured girl, who had been protecting her friend. Said friend was now talking to Izuku, who had inquired about her quirk as soon as he was certain she was alright. She had the ability to change the colors of objects, which wasn't the flashiest or most useful of quirks, but it was still fascinating to the newly reborn symbol of peace and justice.

"Yeah, who's…" the teenage girl tried being polite, but had a bit of an attitude from having been punched in the gut and forced to eat the pavement.

"Oh…It's you! " The girl had leapt towards Mina in a heartbeat, eager to hug her hero. "I never got to thank you…for saving my life. I mean, I wrote some letters, watched footage of you, but I never knew where to reach you. I heard you went freelance, which is weird, but also cool." The teenager gushed to her hero for what seemed like hours. Her enthusiasm really grabbed Mina and it was a far cry from the broken and forlorn girl she had encountered on that lonely rooftop. There were hints of herself in there. The enthusiasm and vigor and the way she moved her hands. However, she could also see hints of a wide-eyed boy with wild green hair who never gave in, even when things seemed hopeless and he felt like doing so. Izuku may have had his quirk back. The final say on who the 11th holder would be was his. However, Mina now had a candidate in mind. And she was certain Izuku would like her pick.

X

Izuku looked over at his wife, who was getting into a speedskating stance as TOrak braced herself on roller skates. They were an old pair of Mina's that she had held on to for some reason. Both she and Izuku were kind of glad she had now.

"Alright, kid. You ready to go?" Mina grinned at the teenager, decked out in goggles and roller derby gear.

"Yes maam." She cheered. She was tempted to tease, but she was way too nervous too. This was her idol, and now she was training her. What's more, the number one hero in the world, the man who met death and returned to tell the tale, was giving her his quirk. It was overwhelming. She didn't even realize quirks worked that way. Her mind was expanding to the point of bursting. However, these two pros believed in her. They were taking time out of their schedules to help her on her path. They even put in a word for her with UA. Tora was half expecting to die and come ack herself.

"Focus, young Tora. This is hero training, not Space Camp. We need you in top shape to handle this power.

"Right. S-sorry, Deku-sensei." She bowed.

"Ahem. Tora, you can talk to my husband later. For now, I hope you're hungry, because you're about to eat my dust!" the acid hero and torchbearer of One for All grinned mischievously.

"Like hell, Pinky." The quirkless girl fired back, almost fainting after realizing who she was talking to. Mina just continued smiling.

"See, Izuku? I told you she would be the best choice! Aaaaaand GO!"

With that, Mina took off, gliding swiftly and gracefully as her protegee tried to keep up on old skates. Izuku shook his head and smiled. He took out a fresh notebook and smiled. In the months to come he would have to contain his wife's laughter and their pupil's terror as he offered her a strand of his hair to eat.

And thus, as one chapter closes, another one opens, but that is a tale for another time.


End file.
